Immortal
by LostCause1011
Summary: Set just a few years after Richard is stranded on the Island. In 1870, a pirate ship crashes to the Island, with a slave girl onboard. Richard/OC
1. Chapter 1

The boat rocked from side to side, slow and nauseating. I listened to the waves crash against the ship, as I moved to pear out the small circular window, pulling as hard as I could against my chains. From what I could see there was a storm, making the ship toss and turn, the only thing keeping me in place where my chains. I could hear people running above me, back and forth, worried and nervous about something. It wasn't until I saw the island that I realized we were about to crash, then everything just went dark.

When I came to, two men were dragging me from the wreckage onto the beach. The Captain of the ship, was standing in front of me leering. "Good morning, sweetheart." His voice was disgusting, dripping with false kindness, but I knew his true face. I knew it from the many times he came to visit me while I sat in chains, powerless. I glared at him, receiving a blow to the face, "Show some respect, slave." He growled, as I spat blood onto the sandy ground.

That's what I was, a slave, just a faceless woman that pleasured the crew. My chain was reattached to my ankle and fastened around a palm tree, so I couldn't get away. I watched in the hot sun as the crew built makeshift shelters and a signal fire. I was not given water, just left to burn under it's merciless rays of the sun.

When the sun dipped down behind the horizon, I watched the men carefully in the warm glow of the fire. Anthony, the Captain's second in command came towards me, a vicious grin on his face. As he came closer I tried to scoot as far a way as I could, which was not very far due to the chain. As he climbed over top of me, I fought with him until my foot landed squarely in his face. He cussed and spat, backing away and I actually thought I had lucked out, but how wrong I was.

The Captain gripped me by my curly thick hair, and dragged me towards the palm tree I was chained to. Once I was there, he tied my arms around it, ripping the back of my dress to expose my back. He was ranting and raving, lecturing me on how a slave is supposed to behave, then suddenly he struck me across the back with a long stick of bamboo. I cried out above the crews snickers and laughs, screaming for forgiveness as the Captain continued to hit me over and over again. I felt the blood dripping off my back and down the backs of my legs.

I opened my eyes, staring into the jungle. I saw a flash of light in the distance, but it was gone before I could even register what I saw. When the Captain stopped beating me, he ripped my dress off of me, exposing me to the rest. Shouts and hollers of joy were heard, as my body was judged by every crew member. "Your body is all you have, girl." The Captain hissed in my ear, "You better get used to it." He cut the rope that held my hands and threw me to the ground, sand grinding painfully into my cuts. He looked down with me in disgust, as he jammed the bamboo stick into the sand. Every crew member got a turn with me that night.


	2. Chapter 2

I stayed unclothed and chained to that tree for days. Only moving when another crew member wanted to 'relax'. I stopped fighting, stopped screaming, and hoped to stop breathing soon enough. Everyday was the same, get beaten, get raped. My body was littered with bruises and scratches. Dried blood caked my face, from previous nosebleeds, and my busted lip. I was worthless trash and I knew it, I knew it so well. The captain dropped a weird fruit in front of me, which I devoured, juices running down my bare front, ignoring the sting as the juices invaded my cuts. "Maybe somebody will need to give you a bath." The Captain winked, after that I was no longer hungry.

Anthony approached me after the sun disappeared, pushing me up against the tree. I did not make a sound, as I looked into the jungle. I saw the flash of light from the first night, disappearing as quickly as I saw it. Then to my surprise, a pair of dark eyes were peering at me through the jungle, and then they were gone. There was someone in the jungle, someone who could save me perhaps? I struggled against Anthony, catching him by surprise, but he just grabbed my hair, yanking my head back, and slammed me back against the tree, pressing into every cut on my back. He laughed as I cried, until his voice was silenced with a sudden intake of breath and he collapsed behind me.

Turning quickly I saw an arrow sticking out of his eye and blood dripping down his face. Not even realizing I was doing it, I screamed. The camp was in chaos, everyone was running around to get their guns, while being killed one by one with arrows. "Please, unchain me." I cried to the Captain, as the men around me were hit. The Captain ignored me, running right past, when an arrow went through his knee. He stumbled, but tried to limp away when one hit his shoulder sending him to the ground.

A man emerged from the tree line near me, walking slowly past me, an angry look in his eyes. He grabbed the bamboo stick that was wedged in the sand, the one the Captain used to beat me, making me flinch back and scoot to the base of the tree. But the man walked right past me, walking to the Captain, who was moaning and near death. The man raised the stick and sent forceful blows the Captains head, causing him to cry out in agony, until he didn't make another sound again. Then the man turned to me, the stick in one hand, his bow in the other.

I thought death had finally come for me, as I watched the man walk towards me. I struggled, trying to escape but the iron chain held strong, muttering prayers to god. Instead of drawing his bow, he dropped it in the sand beside me along with the stick, and pulled off his jacket, exposing his bare chest. Oh no, not again. I started to cry, trying to crawl away from the man. The man's eyes widened suddenly, showing off his gorgeous brown eyes, and he shook his head. He shushed me softly, as he wrapped the jacket around my bare body.

"You're safe now." He said softly, standing and walking over to the Captain's body. After fishing through the dead man's pockets, the man came back with the keys to my chain, and freed my ankle from its grasp. The man was staring at me, and I stared back, taking in his shoulder length hair that was falling into his face. I was wobbling from lack of food and dehydration, before I knew what was happening my world went black.

When I woke up, I was laying on my stomach, the jacket was missing, and a bandage was wrapped around my torso. I looked around and saw I was in a hut, made out of bamboo and leaves. The man from the previous night was not there, but there was a shirt and skirt sitting beside me. I quickly changed, and as I was buttoning the last button the man walked into the hut. "You are awake." He said softly, sitting down in a chair beside me. I wondered where he got things like a bed and a chair, or a skirt for that matter. "Who are you?"

"Elizabeth, I was the Captain's slave." I whispered softly, looking to the floor, "But now, I guess I am yours."

A hand took hold of my chin, making my sea green eyes meet his chocolately brown, "No," He said, "You are nobody's slave here." He ushered me to sit on the bed, which I sat nervously at the edge. My breath caught in my throat as I saw bloody rags in the corner, did he kill more people? He looked at where I was looking frightfully, "I had to clean your wounds, you've been out for a day, I couldn't ask." He said apologetically, looking away from me.

I didn't say a word, just sat and stared, trying to figure out what was going to happen. Suddenly he handed me a bowl, which was full with rice and some kind of pork like meat, and a spoon. I didn't need to be told twice, I devoured the food, and graciously accepted the cup of water he handed me. "Thank you." I gasped, finishing off the last bites. It was the first food I had eaten, besides the few bites of fruit, since the crash 4 days ago.

"You are welcome." He said softly, eating his own dish. He had a slight accent, English was definitely his second language, I was amazed he actually knew it, to be honest. We sat in an awkward silence, as I analyzed his possible motives. Why would he have spared me after killing all those men? I watched him cautiously, preparing myself for anything.

He set down his dish, and took my empty one from my hands, setting them on a makeshift table, made of a wooden crate. He was watching me carefully, as if he was nervous of me. I didn't get him. I noticed my ankle was wrapped as well, and my face had been washed of the dried blood. Why would he help me? The Captain's words echoed back to me, reminding me of my worthlessness, I was a slave, nothing more.

"Are you alright?" He asked me softly, looking at me with sincerity. I was surprised by the inquiry, but I had been surprised by everything lately.

"Yes," I said softly, "Thank you, I am in your debt." I said, bowing my head slightly, letting my matted curls fall into my face. He got a look of disgust on his face, which made me flinch back. Was I really that vile?

His expression dropped almost instantaneously. He shook his head, "Those men," he nearly spat, his accent thick with his anger, "are vermin. When I saw that they were...", his voice faded a bit, as I looked shamefully away, "They deserved much more than what they got." He finished suddenly, staring down at the ground.

After a long silence I finally asked, "What is your name?" He kind of chuckled, looking up at me sheepishly.

"Ricardos." I smiled politely, until he continued, "Would you come with me? I have to go to the statue." He said the statue as if I should know what he was talking about. I just nodded, figuring it was best to follow, for survival. He handed me my worn out shoes, which I hadn't even noticed had been removed. I painfully bent to tie the laces, giving a soft gasp. Suddenly, Ricardos was on his knees in front of me, tying up my shoes, and then gently helping me to my feet.


	3. Chapter 3

**We made our way out of his hut, and led me further into the jungle. He was walking pretty quickly, which made it difficult to keep up. He would notice, slow down and walk with me again for a while, before his speed picked up again and I just trailed behind him quietly. The trees were full of fruit, and the worn path he led me on was surrounded by flowers and trees, it was gorgeous. I could hear the wind blowing the leaves, the birds chirping at each other, and the frogs croaking away; however in the wind I heard the faint whisper of "Elizabeth" that stopped me dead in my tracks. **

**Ricardos had not noticed, and continued, leading the way. I looked around violently, trying to glimpse the owner of the voice. I heard Ricardos' footsteps and turned to face him, only to have me heart stop cold. There before me stood the Captain, smiling perversely at me. My voice had gone missing, as I watched the dead man walk closely to me. How could this even be? **

**"You've been a very bad little wench, now haven't you?" He hissed at me, "Thinking you could escape from what you are?" He laughed, and yanked my back up against him. I gave a little whimper of a cry, as I felt his hands spread over my body. Then he let go, and disappeared into the jungle behind me. It was then that Ricardos actually walked back to where I was, wonder written on his face. Suddenly his curiosity turned to worry, as he saw the fear and pain in my eyes. **

**He rushed to me, looking deep into my eyes, like he was searching my eyes for an answer, "What happened?" He asked quietly, placing a hand on my cheek only to have me flinch back in the utter habit of fear. **

**"I saw him." I gasped, wildly looking around, anxious that he would attack us at any moment. "The Captain." I was on the verge of hyperventilating, when Ricardos shushed me soothingly. He looked around, slightly more alert than he had been, and slowly moved to take my and lead me further into the jungle, back on the path. **

**"I killed the Captain." He said firmly, leading me slowly down the path, as silent tears streamed down my face. "What you saw was not the Captain." He said this very seriously, "It was evil." That's all he said about it, "It won't get you." He led me protectively down the path until we reached a beach. **

**On the beach, I was nervous to see another man, this looked nothing like Ricardos, who was dark and exotic looking, but a blonde haired and blue eyed man. He was looking at the both of us in utter astonishment, and slight annoyance. He motioned tersely for Ricardos, who told me to stay put as I watched him quickly stride over to the man. I could still hear them slightly over the roar of the waves. **

**"I told you not to interfere with the boat survivors." The man glared at Ricardos, who glanced quickly at me then back to the man. **

**"You do not understand." His response was harsh and agitated. **

**"No you don't understand, people who are brought to the island have to survive on their own. What happened to the others?" I sat on the sand, drawing swirls with my fingers, listening to them argue. **

**"They are dead." Ricardos spat harshly, making the other man's face harden even more so than it was. **

**"You killed them?" The man asked, confused at Ricardos' actions. "Why would you do such a stupid thing, for a woman?" I continued to pretend not to hear them, to pretend that I was somewhere else completely. **

**"They had her chained, naked, to a tree, Jacob." Ricardos hissed, "They beat and raped her. I could not just leave her there for them to continue." I looked up at this statement, surprised that he would consider what the men did was rape. I was a slave, to others it was considered my duty, My job. This man, Ricardos, did not see it that way. When he let this sentence shoot out of his lips, it hit whatever target he had been aiming for. **

**The blonde man, looked up sharply, and then turned to me. His gaze stuck on me, making me look away, slaves were not supposed to look in a persons eyes. We were not equal. Ricardos called my name, and I saw him waving me over. I got up, carefully maneuvering my body so the pain was less. Still every movement was stiff and sore. Walking up to Ricardos, I bowed my head, gazing at his feet. It wasn't until he took my face gently in his hands and forced me to look upwards. **

**"Do not be frightened." He whispered gently to me, "This is Jacob. Jacob, this is Elizabeth." He introduced, I didn't understand why. Ricardos was the first person to introduce me as my own person, since I was sold to the Captain four years prior. **

**"It's very nice to meet you." Jacob said softly, taking my hand in his. Without thinking I snatched it back, as if I had been burned, and then I realized my mistake. I had disgraced Ricardos, he would be so angry with me for my rudeness to Jacob. I tried to hold back tears as I nervously awaited a backhand or a fist, anything to punish me. **

**Instead of a forceful blow, Ricardos put his hands on my shoulders. I started to tremble underneath his hands, I could take a beating, I could take abuse, but I couldn't take not knowing what was to happen. Nothing happened. Jacob watched me curiously, as Ricardos just kept a hand on my shoulder as if to comfort me, to soothe my fear. It did. **

**"It's nice to meet you too." I whispered. I didn't offer anymore conversation than that, so Jacob returned to talking to Ricardos. They where discussing a man dressed in black, and then Ricardos said something in a language I didn't understand. Whatever he said made Jacob glance at me for a moment, in a very calculating stare, and then reply in the same foreign language. **

**"You can go back to your camp," Jacob told Ricardos, reverting back to English, and then he turned and walked away from us.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Ricardos?" I asked softly, peering out of the hut nervously one evening. I had been with him for two days, and so far he had been nothing but kind, but my mind kept reminding me that the most devious men are the ones you trusted. But Ricardos, he was trying to chip away my shield, for some unknown reason. I couldn't let him.

He was adding wood to the fire, his back facing me. He turned with a kind smile, "Yes, Elizabeth." He replied softly, adding another log, before standing to face me.

"How did you get here?" I don't know why I asked, I had planned on asking him about Jacob and the Man in Black, but I was worried of the outcome of such a bold question. Women have no place in business, slave or not. His smile lessened, and he looked past me into the jungle.

I could see the emotional turmoil in his eyes, "I was in prison, and then sold as a slave, and shipped to the New World." He kind of chuckled at the thought, "We didn't make it there." He said gesturing to the jungle.

"What happened to everyone else?" I asked, letting him lead me to a seat by the fire. He had tied his hair back, but little pieces still fell into his eyes. The glow of the fire warmed my face, as I watched him thread meat onto a thin sharpened stick.

"The slaves were killed by an officer." Ricardos said slowly, he didn't want to further explain, I could tell.

"But they did not kill you." I asked, venturing further, cautiously. I worried that the kindness would come to an end, if I pushed to hard. But maybe, he was kind because he understood what it was like to be in chains, maybe that was why he helped me to begin with.

"No," He responded, "They all died before they got to." He didn't elaborate, and I didn't press anymore. I watched as he cooked the meat in the fire. "May I ask you something?" I looked at him, shocked by him asking permission, but nodded. "Why were you a slave?" He had said it as if I wasn't still.

"I don't understand?" I said nervously, not sure what he wanted me to say.

"Were you always the Captain's slave?" He asked carefully, as if nervous of me. This man was very confusing.

"No, before the Captain I belonged to Master Willmington, and before that I belonged to Master Dunham." I answered, when Ricardos' expression changed to upset, I muttered a quick apology, which only caused him to shake his head.

"There is nothing for you to be sorry for." He said firmly, as if he was trying to really get me to listen, "What about your family?" That question caught me by surprise, making me have to pause and think. Family was something I hadn't had in a long time, and something I tried not to think about.

"When I was younger, I lived with my father and my sister. My mother died when I was only a year. When I was 7 my father gave me to Master Dunham to settle a bet." I watched the fire as I said this, as if to burn away the memories and didn't think about those few years with my father.

Ricardos shook his head, "I am sorry." I looked at him quizzically, but he gave no further information, just handed me one of the sticks of meat. Our meal was in silence, but it was a pleasant calm. After the meal, he bid me goodnight, telling me he had to go to the statue early in the morning, but he would be back probably before I even woke up.

Ricardos some how came up with another cot, giving me the bed he had, and taking the cot for himself. I'm not sure where on the tropical island he was finding these things, but I was thankful. I watched him go into the tent, and sat silently by myself. It was really the first time I had been alone since...well a very long time. I sat thinking about Ricardos, and his kindness. I had respect for him. I thought about the Captain, and seeing the dead man in the woods, not really dead. I thought about Jacob and the mysterious Man in Black. I thought until I fell right asleep, in front of the warm fire. Sometime, during the night I awoke to Ricardos gently picking me up. My eyes opened briefly, to glance up at him and then snuggled my head into his chest. He brought me into the tent, lying me in my bed. And as I fell back to sleep, Ricardos was walking out the door.

When I finally awoke for the day, I heard Ricardos whistling outside the hut. I smiled at the soft tune, climbed out of bed, and walked to the doorway to peer out at him. Only my eyes were not greeted with Ricardos' soft brown eyes, but with an older man's ice blue one. "Well, who do we got here?" He asked, his voice slick and oily. "Ricardos found himself a woman, guess he got over his wife."

The man took steps towards me and I kept myself perched at the entrance. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Infamous Man in Black." He chuckled, like the whole title was ridiculous. "Now who might you be, lovely lady?" I didn't like his tone much at all. He seemed like he was the kind of man to have a plan up his sleeve, and evil plan.

"Elizabeth." I said softly.

Before we could say anymore, Ricardos burst out of the trees, and walked in between myself and the man, "Go." He nearly growled to the man. The man laughed, shaking his head, but turned and walked away.

"Who was he?" I asked softly, causing Ricardos to turn and look at me.

"He is a monster." He said it simply, not saying anything else.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been two weeks, since I met the man that Ricardos called monster. After that, Ricardos barely left my side, looking over his shoulder as if he was expecting some sort of attack. We didn't talk about the man or Jacob, just kept each other company. We'd talk about London, which he told me he had never been, but he was very interested.

I told him about the shops, restaurants, and everything else in the city. I had the pleasure of experiencing it under Master Wilmington's rule. I ran his errands for him, hustling through the city, not ever wanting to be late. We talked about music, literature, and foods we missed, only I didn't have much to compare to, the mangos (That's what Ricardos called the fruit) were tastier than anything I had been allowed, I never was able to read very well, and music wasn't a luxury I was allowed.

"Ricardos?" I asked, ready to ask what had been sitting at the edge of my tongue since meeting the 'Monster' man. Ricardos nodded for me to continue, "What happened to your wife?" Ricardos choked on his water, looking at me with alarm.

"How do you know about my wife?" He asked, giving me a hardened stare.

"The man, from the other day mentioned her." I said softly, looking anywhere but his angry eyes. I did not like it when Ricardos was angry with what I say. I knew by now, that he would not strike me, or anything like the other men I had belonged to.

"He would." Ricardos said bitterly, "My wife died before I came to this Island. When I got here, that man freed me from my chains and told me that I was in hell, that this island is hell, that my wife was here."

"Are we?" I asked, my eyes full of fear. It all made since now, I was getting punished for my sins.

"No." Ricardos said shaking his head, scooting closer to me, resting a hand on my knee, "We are not in hell, and my wife is in heaven. At least that is what I am going to believe." He didn't sound positive, but I prayed that he was right.

Before any more could be said, a roar was heard through the jungle. The sound wasn't like any animal I had ever heard, and in the distance I could see trees tremble and sometimes fall, as whatever it was made it's way down the mountain, towards our camp. "Get up." Ricardos demanded quickly, grapping my hand and pulling me into the hut.

My mind screamed in panic and my heart beat frantically against my chest. The moment I was in the tent, a huge pillar of smoke stampeded past, making that horrid roar. It looped back around, aiming straight for the entrance of our tent, as I clutched to Ricardos, he stood calmly staring at the smoke. I did the one thing I could while facing death, I prayed.

As if it had hit a wall, it came to a sudden halt, hovering right outside the tent. "Get out of here." Ricardos growled at the smoke, which up close looked like it had tiny bolts of lightning flashing under the smoke, like a storm about to start, and with a weird chittering noise, it was gone.

"What was that?" I gasped, as he led me back out of the hut.

"The monster." He replied, confusing me greatly. I thought the man was a monster, not that there was an actual monster.

"Why didn't he attack us?" Richard pointed to the thick line of ash the circled our little shelter, I had never bothered to ask why it was there, after watching him retrace it. He never used the campfire ash, he had a bag filled with the black ash.

"It keeps him out." He said, "If you ever hear that noise, you want to be inside the ring." He was dead serious, I didn't want to know what would happen if I wasn't in the ring when the thing came back.

"Why don't you like circle the entire beach?" I asked, accepting the bowl of fruit he handed me, as we sat around the fire again.

He laughed, calming the atmosphere, even though my heart was still racing. He took a wedge of mango from my bowl with his fingers, and popped it into his mouth, "I don't know, you would have to ask Jacob." I was silent at that, I wasn't sure if I like this Jacob character. He didn't seem to like me either the one time we met. "You know he thinks you're special?" Ricardos said randomly.

"Who?"

"Jacob."

"Oh?" I questioned softly, eating slowly. "Why?"

Ricardos was silent for a moment, and I could practically see the gears in his brain turning. "Jacob always knows who is coming to the Island." He started slowly, "He brings them here. He brought me here." I nodded as if I understood, but I really had no clue what he was talking about, "Except you."

"What do you mean?" I asked, finishing my last piece of fruit, and setting the bowl down on the sand.

"Jacob didn't know you where coming. He knew the ship was coming, he knew the crew was coming, but he didn't know you were coming." Ricardos explained, "You weren't supposed to be on the boat." He was right, originally I wasn't supposed to go on the boat. The Captain won ownership of me in a game of cards with Master Wilmington, two hours before we set sail. If the Captain had lost, I would still be in England


	6. Chapter 6

_I laid on my bed, gazing down at Ricardos' sleeping form. His chest slowly rose, and fell, with his soft breaths of air. His long hair was hanging in his face. He was dreaming, you could tell by the way he was stirring, and murmuring every once in a while. _

_Reaching down to brush the hair out his face, I thought about how peacefully handsome he was. Unfortunately, it is not a wise idea to touch a man while he's sleeping, especially if he was used to living alone. Before I could make a noise, his hand clamped around my wrist, and I was yanked from my bed._

_In less than a minute, he had me on the floor with a hand to my throat. His eyes were cloudy and unseeing, as if he was still dreaming. I gasped, and tears fell down my face, as I kicked to free myself. "Stupid wench." He growled, choking the air out of me. Why was this happening? He's killing me._

"Elizabeth!" Ricardos shouted, shaking me awake, I sat up instantly, gasping for air, crying softly, "It's alright, it was just a dream." He soothed, pulling me close to him, wrapping both arms tightly around me as I sobbed into his chest, "You're alright."

"I'm sorry." I choked out, pulling away and wiping at my face. The early morning light was streaming into the hut and dancing across Ricardos' dark face.

"Don't apologize, it was just a dream." He soothed softly, wiping the rest of my tears with his thumbs. "Do you want to talk about it." I shook my head no, how do you tell someone that you dreamed of them murdering you. "Alright," he said softly, "let's go get some breakfast." His words were gentle and soothing, as he led me by the hand out of bed.

We walked into the jungle, where the fruit clung to the trees. Ricardos shimmied up one tree and tossed down some mangoes to me, which I then put in his pack. When we had enough, he didn't lead us back to camp, instead we trekked farther into the jungle.

"Where are we going?" I asked, trailing after him like a lost puppy.

"It's a surprise." He grinned. We walked for a half hour before we stopped in front of the most beautiful lagoon I had ever seen. Surround by trees and wildflowers, a waterfall plunged into blue crystal like water. "Do you like it?"

"It's gorgeous." I spoke in awe, taking in the enchanting scenery.

"Do you want to go for a swim?" He asked, blushing slightly I shook my head, "Why not?"

"I can't swim." I muttered, slaves didn't get much free time to learn such things. He nodded in understanding, and dug through his bag, pulling out a pair of pants, that the legs were cut off of. The pants looked incredibly small for Richard.

"I will teach you." He said simply, "Here put these on." A woman in pants? That was ridiculous idea. He must have seen my skepticism because he followed with, "We're in the jungle, it doesn't matter if you're dressed properly anymore." I nodded, sliding the pants on underneath my skirt. Once they were fastened I stepped out of the skirt. The wind brushed against my bare legs like freedom.

Ricardos stripped off his shirt, kicked off his shoes, and the slowly waded out into the water. He held a hand out to me, as I kicked off my shoes, and walked out to where he was. He led me until I was up to my chest in water.

For the next hour, he gently held me up while teaching me to kick my legs and move my arms so I stayed on top of the water. I learned that swimming under water was easier than staying afloat, but I gradually got the gist of it.

When we realized we had been out for hours, and only had a few hours before dark, we headed towards the water edge. He held my hand, pulling me out of the water, but my feet stumbled, causing me to fall into him and both of us landed on the ground, me on top of him.

We didn't say anything, just stared at each other. His soft brown eyes melted me, drawing me closer to him. Before I realized what I was doing, my lips met his in a brief kiss. "I'm sorry." I gasped, pulling my self up, but his hand caught my wrist. I had been so stupid, doing something so foolish to mess up the nice relationship Ricardos and I had built.

His eyes concentrated on my face, not angrily, but as if he was trying to decide something. "I'm not." He murmured, but before I could ask him what he meant, he pulled me back to him and kissed me.

The kiss wasn't like any I had ever had before. It was so soft, and tender, and I kissed back with little hesitation. His hands found their way into my hair, my back, and then back to my face, in such a way I couldn't describe. I wanted to kiss him, and he wanted to kiss me. I didn't understand the feeling I was having. This passion I felt.

He broke away as softly as he started, and laid his head back on the ground, his eyes foggy and his breath hard. His arms were wrapped around my waist, so I gently laid my head on his shoulder. He rubbed my back softly, and I closed my eyes.

"I don't want this to end." I whispered softly to myself, holding tightly to Ricardos. His arms tightened around me and I felt his lips brush against my hair.

"It's not going to." He reassured. Before anymore could be said, the leaves beside us rustled, and two sandaled feet stepped in front of our faces. Looking up I saw it was Jacob, the man I hadn't seen since my first day with Ricardos.

"Ricardos." He said simply, as we both stood. He glanced over me, taking in my soaking wet blouse, and the pants I was wearing. I suddenly felt self conscious, wearing such inappropriate attire. He then looked over to Ricardos, "I need to talk to you," Ricardos glanced over to me, "She can follow the trail back to your camp. Let's go." Jacob demanded.

Ricardos held my face and kissed me softly, "I'll be back." He whispered to me, "Just follow the trail straight to the camp, don't stop for any reason." Then he slipped the knife he used to hunt boar in my hand, and disappeared into the shrubbery with Jacob.

Grabbing my skirt and Ricardos' pack, I headed back to camp clutching the knife tightly in my hand. It wasn't long after that, when I realized I was lost when the trail I was following turned out not to be a trail at all.

It was about that time that the leaves started rustling and I could hear the whispers. It sounded as if hundreds of people where all whispering at once, creating a loud hum of voices. "Elizabeth." I heard, and flashes of the Captain flew through my head, was he about to come back like he did when Ricardos took me to the statue.

The leaves rustled, and I held the knife in front of me, ready to attack. That's when he emerged. The Man in Black. "Now what are you planning on doing with that?" He chuckled, before striking my hand with a walking stick so it dropped to the ground. Before I could react he had me up against a tree.

"Why are you so special, huh?" He asked, leaning in close, "You look like a scared little girl from here." I didn't say a word, as he stroked my face, not like how Ricardos had done only moment before, but as if he owned me. "You're nothing but a little slave girl, and here Jacob is thinking you're going to change the island."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I stuttered.

"Of course you don't. You think you've been brought to paradise, you think that you and Ricardos are going to live a happy little life." He laughed, "Let me tell you something, Ricardos only cares about Jacob. And whatever Jacob tells him he does." His grinned widened, "Eventually, Jacob's going to ask him for you and Ricardos will hand you over like the slave you are."

"I don't believe you." I spat out, ignoring the tears his words had caused. He couldn't be right, Ricardos cared about her didn't he? He thought more of me than me being a slave. That's when I realized how foolish I had been, of course he saw me as a slave, that's what I was. He didn't care about me, or who owned me.

"Yes you do," The man sneered, "but it doesn't really matter. You'll see soon enough. Oh and when Jacob has you, he'll have you forever. Unless you kill him that is." And with that, he let me go and walked away and out of sight. I slid to the jungle floor, allowing myself to cry. I had been so naïve, I should have known better. After a few minutes I picked myself off the ground, grabbing the knife up, and headed through the jungle. When I finally found the camp, it was dark. The fire was already going, but no one was there. I dropped Ricardos pack on the ground, and went into the tent. I grabbed my sheet and pillow, filled a small bag with the black ash, and headed away from camp. I couldn't stay here now, I couldn't go back to being a slave again.


	7. Chapter 7

I could not sleep in the secluded part of the beach which I had declared my own camp. My own camp with no hut, no bed, no food. I had heard Ricardos shouting my name, frantically looking for me. I almost called out to him, to ease his worry, but I remembered what the Man in Black had said so I kept quiet in the bushes. His calls drifting farther and farther away.

I cried under the stars until they faded away and the sun started to peak up over the horizon. I cried for the loss of the freedom I thought I had with Ricardos. I cried for my stupidity. And I cried because I knew I would die out here alone.

"Elizabeth." Someone said calmly behind me, making me jump nearly a foot in the air. Turning quickly, I saw it was Jacob. I got up to make a run for it, but with one simple move he had me by my shirt sleeve, holding me there. "Why did you run away from Ricardos?" He asked simply.

"Because I know what he's going to do." I spat, trying to yank away my arm, but his grip was too strong.

"Yeah, what would that be?" Jacob questioned, he didn't sound mean, or mad, or intimidating. Just plain curious.

"He's going to give me to you." I whimpered, pathetically looking down from as he dropped my arm.

"You've been talking to the Man in Black." He said, sitting down on the sand, and patting the sand next to him. Figuring it would be stupid to run, I sat down beside him. "Did he tell you he had to kill me, too?" Shocked that he knew I nodded, "When Ricardos first got here, the same man that told you that told him he could have his dead wife back if he killed me."

I looked him in the eyes, for the first time ever and was met with a sympathetic. "That man, is a very troubled man." Jacob continued, "He thinks everyone can be corrupted and evil. He, also, sees you as a threat, so he's trying to make you think you're less of who you are."

"I'm just a slave." I stated simply, which Jacob just shook his head.

"Not here. Everyone gets a fresh start here." He replied, "So what do you want to do, be a slave, or be with Ricardos for forever?"

"I want to be with him forever." I said honestly, making him smile. He reached over and touched my cheek, which tingled at his touch.

"Then you will be." He stood gracefully, holding out a hand for me, "I'll take you back to your camp." He rolled up my sheet and pillow, holding it under his arm. He took me gently by the hand and led me back to Ricardos' camp.

As soon as we reached the campfire, Ricardos rushed towards me pulling me into is arms and holding me tightly. Jacob said something in a foreign language, and Ricardos just looked at him in astonishment. When Jacob walked back into the jungle, Ricardos showered my forehead with kisses.

"Please, never do that again." He murmured into my hair, "I was so worried." I nodded, rambling apologies and explanations, which just caused him to hold me tighter to him. I didn't complain, I felt safe in his arms again.

"It's okay. You're back now," Ricardos soothed. He led me into the hut, and laid down with me on my bed. He kept his arms wrapped around me, and I buried my head into his chest.

"Jacob said we would be together forever." I whispered to him, looking up at him.

Ricardos' eyes got wide, and he sat up. "Jacob touched you?" He asked softly. He had touched my face and held my hand so I nodded slowly, "Did he tell you what that meant?" I shook my head now. "It means you'll never die. The both of us, will live forever. Well I mean, unless someone murders us, then we can die, but not of old age or suicide."

"Is that bad?" I asked, thinking that it might not be if I got to stay with Ricardos for an eternity.

Ricardos looked up at the tent ceiling, as if it held the answer to my question. He looked back to me and graced my lips with a lingering kiss. "I don't think it will be anymore." He said softly with a smile.

I closed my eyes, allowing myself to drift into a sleep that had been stalking me since I left the camp. The soft faint beating of Ricardos' heart sung to me like the sweetest lullaby I had ever heard. "I love you." I murmured, he was the first person I had ever uttered those words to, besides my sister when I was a little girl.

"I love you too." He said back softly.

When I woke up, he was still next to me, snoring slightly. His hair dangled in his face, which I reached up to push it away. Once my hand brushed against his face, his eyes shot open and he stared at me, a soft smile spreading over his handsome face.

We laid there just staring at each other. We didn't need words, we understood each other. We were free from society and the real world, living in our own little paradise. Both of us were going to live forever, and personally I planned to spend most of forever in his arms. I was safe at last.


	8. Chapter 8

When they had said forever, I didn't know how serious they were. I thought, we would just be together for the rest of our lives. But, when ten years went by, and I didn't age a day, I realized that I would never age at all. But neither would Ricardos. Ricardos would laugh at me, when I would call this place heaven. He would shake his head, pulling me close to him.

"Only you would make a heaven out of hell." Then he'd kiss me on the lips, pick me up and spin me around, "But, I guess anywhere with you is heaven," And he'd set me down kissing me again. My heart would melt for him all over again, for moments like that.

Our hut had been rebuilt many times, when monsoon season would hit, we'd go to the caves when that happened. Ricardos would curse quietly in Latin, which Jacob and him taught me when they decided I'd always be on the Island., so I'd gently scold him.

After out 7th hut was built, Ricardos started disappearing into the jungle. He said it was work for Jacob, that I wasn't involved in. Which was odd, because we were both always involved in work with Jacob. We had to keep an eye on the people who were brought to the Island. But, no matter how much I pried, he wouldn't tell me anything.

For months, that happened. Everyday, he would disappear, and come back at dark. It was a lonely months, and I cried by myself during the days, thinking Ricardos was simply bored. That's exactly what I was doing when Ricardos ran out of the jungle, with a very big grin on his face, which vanished as he saw me trying to hurriedly wipe away my tears.

"What's wrong, love?" He whispered, holding my face in his hands, when I shook my head, he continued, "Tell me, Elizabeth." It was a soft demand.

"I just miss you." I whispered, wrapping my arms around me.

"I'm right here." He sounded confused, but held me soothingly nonetheless.

"Not during the day." I muttered, a little angrier than I had meant to. To my surprise he just laughed, and started leading me into the jungle. "Where are we going?"

"To show you what I've been doing everyday." I didn't argue, I let him lead me deep into the woods, until we reached a small clearing, that in my ten years of being here, I had never seen. But that wasn't the amazing part, in that clearing there was a little cottage. "Do you like it?"

"It's a house." I said, walking towards it.

"It's our house." I spun around to look at him, and he had a soft smile on his face.

"Our house?" I squeaked, when he nodded, I squealed like a little girl, and ran towards the door. He laughed following me inside to look at it. It was just the right size. Their was a table with chairs, a sofa, and a fireplace, and a ladder leading up to a little loft. I climbed the ladder quickly and saw it was a little bedroom, with a full sized bed, instead of the two cot mats we used on the floor (we had tried sharing the twin, but we gave up nine years ago, their just wasn't enough room), there was a dresser, and a mirror. It was beautiful.

"Do you like it?" He asked, coming up the ladder behind me, as I through myself onto the bed, which was surprisingly soft.

"I'm in love." I said, my face buried into the mattress, causing Ricardos to laugh yet again. He laid beside me and pulled me close.

"So am I." He said, closing the gap between our lips, with a slow passionate kiss. It wasn't long before all our clothes were on the floor, and our naked bodies were entwined beneath a sheet. We stared into each others eyes, neither of us wanting to move, but when Ricardos, glanced out the window at the setting sun, he climbed out of bed telling me he had to go get our belongings from the other camp.

I laid in bed, the sheet around my waist, until I heard Ricardos walk back in the cottage door. I smiled lightly, as I heard him climb up the ladder slowly, "Forget something, baby?" I asked with a chuckle, which turned into a scream as the Man in Black climbed up the ladder, not my beloved Ricardos.

"Well don't you look good." He whispered huskily, in a tone I remembered from my slavery days. It had taken years to get over the abuse I had endured, and still I sometimes saw the Captain in the jungle, but I stopped telling Ricardos because he would get worried.

I scrambled to cover myself, but the man yanked the sheet off the bed, and dropped it over the edge of the loft, "Oops." He said, lustfully, as he kicked my clothes over the side as well. "Now, I haven't had a view this good since you were chained to that tree."

I wrapped my arms around me, and watched fearfully as he blocked my exit, "Ricardos, will be back soon." I shouted, as he walked closer, like a tiger stalking his prey.

"I don't think so." He growled, grabbing my leg, and yanking me down the bed, so I was lying on by back. He was on top of me in a matter of seconds, and I screamed and kicked violently. "Ricardos can't save you, by now, he's probably fighting off the ghosts of his past."

"No, I'm not." Came a growl, from behind him, and the Man went flying over the edge, just like my clothes and sheet had done. Ricardos took a look at him, and I hadn't seen such fire in his eyes since the day he massacred the Captain and his crew.

Ricardos, practically jumping, was down the ladder after the man in a heartbeat. The Man in Black simply laughed, as Ricardos tackled him, sending punch after punch into the Man's face, as I peered over the edge down at them. Then the Man hit him, harder than anything I had ever seen, sending Ricardos back, and on the floor. Ricardos didn't move.

The Man looked up at me, winked, and I shuffled back against the wall. I heard the cottage door open and close, but I didn't move to look again. I stayed there for hours, my back against the wall, memories that had long been repressed where flying through my brain, with no means to stop.

I heard Ricardos stir, and shout my name, his voice terrified. He bounded up the ladder, and saw me in the corner. I didn't look at him, I didn't look at anything. My eyes unfocused, my brain elsewhere. "Elizabeth." He whispered softly, kneeling in front of me, he reached out to touch my face, but I flinched back quickly, not caring that my head connected with the wall. "Oh, sweetheart." He gasped, his voice crackling.

I didn't reply, just curled myself into a tighter ball. I was deep inside the nightmare off memories, and there was no coaxing me out. It was as if I couldn't respond, no matter how hard I wanted to. His voice just bounced off me. He sat there watching me, until he gently broke through my barrier. One minute, I was a statue, the next I was melted into a puddle in his arms. I was crying and sobbing, latching onto Ricardos, as he gently soothed me, leading me to the bed.

He covered up my naked body, with the sheet he had picked up off the floor. I was asleep before my head hit the floor. And when I woke up, we never spoke of what happened. The next morning I found Ricardos pouring a huge circle of black ash around the house.

He saw me, dropping the bag completely, and hurried over to me, pulling me into his arms. "I love you." He said, holding me tightly, and kissing me softly. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Ricardos." I smiled up at him. He was my savior, my lover, my friend. That's when he reached into his pocket, and pulled out something small. Holding it out in front of me, I saw what it was and my breath stopped short. It was a little sliver ring, with four very small stone, two sapphires and two diamonds. "Then marry me."


	9. Chapter 9

Jacob married us, on the beach in front of his statue, well his foot of a statue. Jacob and surprised me with a little white flowing dress and a crown of flower, that matched the bouquet I had picked in the jungle. He had a smile on his face the entire time of our service, and after we kissed, sealing the promise of forever loving each other, Jacob was the one to bring out the wine and food. The three of us danced and drank along the beach.

Now as husband and wife, we watched over the island together. Numerous of shipwrecks happened over the years, and each and every survivor died eventually. We never got close to them, we knew it would just end in sadness, for we would have to watch them die.

It wasn't until 1948, when Eloise and Charles came to us. Jacob had brought them to the island, to be leaders. He told us to think of it as our honeymoon, we wouldn't be in charge of the island anymore. However, things probably wouldn't have gotten so out of control if we had stayed in charge.

We had a little tribe of people, so Ricardos and I stayed away from our cottage. We didn't want anyone there, that was the place for ourselves. Of course over the 68 years, it had been remodeled, we even had indoor plumbing (which I still didn't get how that worked.).

We lived peacefully with the group of people, that was until the U.S. military came, in 1954. Of course, I was the one to find them, or for them to find me I guess. I was in a tree when they came, tossing fruit into the basket below. When I crawled down, I was suddenly surrounded by at least fifteen men, all with guns.

"Wow, for a savage, she's pretty damn cute." One whistled, circling me slowly.

"I'm not a savage!" I exclaimed, indignantly, I hated that people just assumed we were 'savages' because we lived on a tropical island.

"You speak English!" Another exclaimed, before I had time to even say anything else, the had cuffs around my hands, clicking them closed. I realized I was in a chain. You have got to be kidding me, I thought, fighting with the man. 74 years, I had been free, and these men thought they could capture me. I was not going back to slavery.

"Get off me!" I screamed, so loud, I hoped somebody had heard. I cursed myself for going so far into the jungle. They ignored my cries, and dragged me to their camp on the mountainside. They had tents already set up, and their were three men already at the camp. That's when I saw it, a huge metal contraption, with the word 'Jughead' painted on the side.

I was tied to a post before I could ask any questions, and then they all carried the Jughead thing down the hill, and tied it up into a wooden structure, that didn't look sturdy at all. I ignored the men when they talked to me, only talking in Latin (never saying anything nice) when they tried asking me questions.

When the sun set, I knew Ricardos would be there to rescue me soon. The jungle was quiet, and I knew he was looking for me. "We know you can speak English girl, now tell me, where are the rest of your people?" I spat in his face, and he backhanded me.

"My husband is going to kill you." I growled, that's when he looked at my hand, and saw my beautiful diamond and sapphire ring.

"Well, that looks like it cost a pretty penny." He grabbed my hand and slipped it off, about to put it in his pocket when I heard a gun go off. The man's eyes went wide, and he fell on top of me, I could see the hole in his back, squirting blood.

The entire camp was in battle, and flashes of the night Ricardos first rescued me went through my head. This was exactly what had happened, but instead of bullets flying, there had been arrows, and this time Ricardos wasn't alone. The entire tribe was there fighting the army men.

Pretty soon, the entire outfit of men were dead, and our tribe stood around victoriously. Ricardos, pulled the dead body off of me and cut the ropes that bound me, he had the keys to the cuffs in his hand, and released me. I searched the ground for my ring.

"Sweetheart, what are you looking for?" He asked softly, as I rolled the dead man over and checked his hands.

"My ring, he took my ring." I said frantically, "It has to be here somewhere." Suddenly there was a loud mechanical roar, that I had come to know so well. If Ricardos had not been there I probably would have kept searching for my ring in the grass, if Ricardos hadn't scooped me into his arms and took off running.

We reached our cluster of huts, and he took me right inside of ours, not bothering to talk to anyone else. Laying me on the bed, "Are you hurt?" He asked, checking me over for injury, tracing the bruise that was on my cheek.

"I'm fine Ricardos. I need to find my ring!" I said, trying to get up, but he pushed me back down.

"Do you know how worried I was?" He exclaimed, his eyes wide and angry. I flinched back, making his eyes soften, "What you think I'm going to hit you?" He asked, his voice higher, "Still after all these years? You think I'm going to hit you whenever I raise my voice?" He looked like he was about to cry, "You haven't been a slave in 75 fucking years, but you're still scared of me?"

I didn't know what to say, I didn't mean to flinch back. It was a habit I thought I had broken a long time ago, but my brief capture had brought back memories, "I'm sorry." I whispered.

"Oh don't start apologizing." He whispered, closing his eyes and turning away, "Where are you going?"

"To go look for your ring." With that he left me there. He didn't come back for hours, way after the sun had set. He didn't have my ring when he came back, but I also knew he didn't go looking for it. He sat next to me by the fire. "I'm sorry." He whispered, burying his face in my hair. I nodded, simply staring at the flames.

We didn't find my ring. At least not until even stranger people came to the island.


	10. Chapter 10

Eloise, whom I called Ellie, and I were patrolling the woods when we heard the explosion. We led our group to the spot and found three strangely dress people, a white couple and an Asian man. When confronted about the bombs and army, they looked confused, until the white man told us they were scientist with the army. They were lying, but I didn't say anything. We were taking them to Ricardos, I still called him that when no one was around, anyway.

We put them in one of the tents, we had taken over the military camp for now. Ricardos walked in, "Who are you?", he asked the man.

"Who are you?" The man countered, with an attitude. This man was not very bright for a scientist.

"My name is Richard Alpert." He said, placing his hands on his hips with a patronizing smile, "I guess you came back for your bomb." The man and Ricardos went back in forth until the man said he would disarm the bomb. "And how do I know you weren't sent here on a suicide mission, and when I lead you to the bomb you'll detonate it." A very question indeed, I smirked proudly at the white man, who introduced himself as Daniel.

"Because I'm in love with the woman beside me," He said seriously, glancing over her with a look that would make any heart melt, "And I would never do anything to hurt her." Ricardos glanced at me quickly, seeing the sappy smile I had on my face and sighed.

"If you don't disarm it, you will hurt her." He replied threateningly, before sending Ellie with him down to the bomb.

It was at that moment, Charles came bounding out of the jungle, talking about others, and how he had to kill one of our own before he could spill the secrets of our tribe. He argued with Ricardos, saying there was no possible way for him to have been followed because the leader was a 'sodding old man'. Like usual, Charles was wrong, and an elderly bald man strutted out of the jungle like he owned the place.

"Richard? Richard Alpert." The man called, and I gasped when he called my love by name. The older man's eyes found me, "Well hello there, is Richard around?" Before I could answer Ricardos was in front of me, glaring at the man.

"Who are you?" Ricardos demanded.

"Hello Richard, I'm John Locke." Guns where drawn on him, but he smiled at all of us nonetheless.

"Is that supposed to mean anything to me?" Ricardos asked clearly bored.

"Jacob sent me." Now that caught both of our attentions, we were the only ones to ever see or speak to Jacob. Ricardos demanded that the guns immediately be lowered, and led both the man, John, and myself into our tent. John Locke handed a small compass to Ricardos, who looked at him confused, "You gave this to me, after saving me when I was a shot."

"Oh yeah, and when did I do this?" He chuckled, looking at John with disbelief.

"I don't know, what year is it?"

"1954."

"Then about 50 years from now. You said, not to open it until you had it, you said it would make you believe." The man said simply.

"Really, and why would a compass make me," When Ricardos opened it he stopped short, something small falling into his hand. "I gave this to you? Fifty years from now?"

"Yes."

"And why are you so important?"

"I'm your leader." The man was certainly calm, and for some reason Ricardos seemed to believe him. Ricardos looked at me with a small smile and held up what was in his hand. My ring. I smiled brightly, and let Ricardos put it back on my finger.

"Thank you." I told John sincerely, "I've missed my ring dearly." He nodded with a smile, but I knew he had no idea what peace he had given me, knowing my ring wasn't just rusting away somewhere.

Ricardos talked a little bit more, "I do have a question for you, though." He said, and John looked at him expectantly, "Why would I give the ring to you, why didn't I give it back to my wife." Suddenly the man frowned, looking back and forth between us. "What?"

"You don't have a wife 50 years from now." He said slowly, "I didn't know you had one in the past." My heart stopped cold. What did that mean? I was supposed to live forever with him, never die. Why wouldn't I be around in 50 years. Did I leave, did I die? Before I could ask, the man shot up and looked at the sky. He said something to Ricardos, but I wasn't paying attention. Then suddenly the man disappeared.

"Elizabeth," Ricardos said softly.

"Don't." I said coldly, standing.

"Don't what?"

"Tell me everything's going to be okay, you heard the man, 50 years from now I won't be here." With that I left the hut, and ran into the jungle. I ran farther and farther away until I reached our cottage. I went inside, climbed the ladder, and fell onto the bed. My body was racking with sobs.

I had been told for 74 years that I would never die, that I would be with Ricardos, only to be told that that was a lie. I wasn't going to be a part of his life. I was going to be gone. I heard Ricardos come in, climb the ladder, and lay down next to me.

"I don't want to loose you, Ricardos." I sobbed, turning to face him. He had tears trailing down his face as well.

"You won't loose me, I will be with you forever." He whispered, "The future could change." We both knew he was wrong, but neither of us had the heart to tell the truth. Taking my hand in his, he kissed my ring softly, and let me lay my head on his chest. I was asleep within minutes, and when I woke, he was still in the same spot staring at the ceiling.

We didn't leave our cottage for a week. We didn't leave each others side for years.


	11. Chapter 11

When we finally came back to camp, Ellie had ordered the camp to bury the bomb. She wouldn't talk about what happened, just that the man Daniel and all the others had disappeared along with John. Years later Ricardos went off the island to visit John, who was only four at the time. When he came back I was told that I didn't need to fear the future, John was not special enough to be our leader.

Ellie became our leader, around 1971, right when the Dharma Initiative showed up. Ricardos and the Dharma people made a treaty after weeks of fighting for the island. When the outsiders realized if they continued they would all be massacred, they had no problem with agreeing. They don't kill us, we don't kill them. Which was all fine and dandy, until 1974.

When I came across two of our men capturing two Dharma members, a man and a woman. It got out of hand, and before I could yell stop they had shot the man dead. "Idiot!" I screamed, checking for a pulse, then suddenly a man with a gun stepped out of the bushes, a gun in hand.

The man shot, both of my men dead, and told me to put my hands on my head. My eyes widened when I saw a familiar face step out behind him. The Asian man, who was a scientist, looking the same as he did 20 years ago,

"You!" I said, "Is this the time you came from?" I asked, smiling at him, when he looked at me with recognition.

"No, we're still skipping through time." He replied, as the blonde took the bag off the woman's head. "You don't look-", he was cut off bye the blind man.

"Glad to know you guys no each other, but her people just killed someone, so she's coming with us." His accent was thick and southern, "Come on." He growled, pointing his gun at me, and letting the woman lead the way, as they carried back the bodies. There was another Asian man with him, but he wasn't fluent in English like the other, and there was also a blonde woman with them.

That's when I realized I was about to enter enemy territory. The Dharma woman, whom introduced herself to the man with the gun as Amy, turned off their sonic fences, and led us into the Dharma village. We were instantly greeted by their irate leader, Horace Goodspeed. Horace and I had never met, but I knew him as the man who signed the treaty with Ricardos.

He was demanding to know who my captors were, and when he heard I was a 'hostile' security guards dragged me away, not bothering to let me follow just dragged me so my feet scrapped along the pavement. "Is that really necessary?" I heard the southerner ask, but I was too far away to hear an answer.

I was thrown into a sell where I met a short man with black hair, I was interrogated about the murder of Paul, whom I found out was Amy's husband that had been shot. I was asked about my leader, whom they seemed to think was Ricardos. I didn't talk though, and with each question I didn't answer I was slapped hard across the face.

It wasn't until Horace came to see me, two hours later, when I spoke, "You want to know Richard?" I asked quietly, spitting blood on the floor with a chuckle. He frowned at my state, and wiped the blood off my face. Then he untied my hands, which they had conveniently attached to the arms of a chair.

"I'm sorry, Radzinsky got carried away. We don't tolerate this kind of interrogation." He apologized, "If you would like to tell us about Richard it would be greatly appreciated."

I laughed at this, looking up at him, "I'll tell you about Richard," I smiled evilly, "he's going to kill you all for torturing his wife." I laughed at his alarmed stare, and then laughed even harder when their alarms went off, signaling somebody had crossed their borders. He ran out of the room, leaving me untied. I knew Ricardos wouldn't kill them, but it was good to give them a scare.

I looked out the small window in the room, which I had to stand on the chair to do, and saw Ricardos walking into the center of the village. There was more fire in his eyes than in the torch he was carrying. Not 20 feet away, and Horace approached him cautiously.

"Not only have you broken the treaty," Ricardos growled, walking very close to Horace, "You kidnapped my wife."

"It wasn't intentional, she was brought to us." Horace tried to explain.

"I don't fucking care." Ricardos snarled, "Bring me my wife." Horace scrambled away, towards the front of the building I was in, and out of my view. It wasn't Horace, however, that came to get me, it was the southerner.

"Well, shit." He swore, opening the door, his eyes clearly upset, "I'm sorry, I didn't think they'd fucking torture you." I guess my face was pretty banged up.

"Oh, don't worry." I smiled softly, my mouth ached so it wasn't a very big smile, "I know you're from the future." He looked shocked, "Do you know Richard in the future?" The man nodded, "How exciting!" I was enthralled by this time travel business, "Do you know me?"

"Can't say I do, sunshine, who are you?" He asked, as I frowned, maybe the future can't be changed.

"I'm Richard's wife." I sighed, "but, apparently not for too much longer." I muttered the last parts to my self. He led me out the doors, once I saw Ricardos, I ran to him, jumping into his arms, and wrapping my legs around him.

He pulled away and looked over my face, his eyes growing angrier, "The hurt you?" He growled, setting me down as the southerner came up to me, "Did you do this?" He roared, starting for him, but I held him back.

"I brought her here, but I had no idea these dipshits would hit a woman." The man looked truly disgusted, "Listen, I'm not from this initiative. I'm not part of their group. But it was me who killed those men. So you're treaty with Dharma isn't broken."

"How do I know you're not lying." Ricardos challenged.

"Did you bury the bomb?"

"What?"

"The hydrogen bomb, with Jughead painted on the side, did you bury it?" That's all the proof Ricardos needed to know that this man was like John Locke had been. He told us he was waiting for John to come back, but now he was pretending to be a survivor of a boat crash, and going by Jim LaFleur. We let him go on with is lie, and left taking the body of Paul with us as justice.

However, we probably should of figured out what it would mean for John Locke to return to the island. But knowledge wouldn't have stopped the incident.


	12. Chapter 12

Three years later, Jim LaFleur and a brown haired woman showed up to our camp. I would have greeted them more happily if I hadn't seen that they were holding the body of Benjamin Linus, a boy who was supposed to be our leader. Ricardos came out, and Jim explained that we needed to save him. When Ricardos took the boy into his arms.

"You can't!" I exclaimed, grabbing hold of Ricardos' sleeve.

"How can you object to saving him?" The brown haired woman snapped.

I turned to her with a glare, "You don't know what you're asking us to do. This boy will be changed forever. He will have no innocence after this is done!" Turning back to Ricardos, "Don't do this to him, he's just a boy."

Ricardos looked at me, "It's what Jacob wants." I knew at that statement, my pleading would get me no where. Ricardos turned and walked away, towards the temple. I simply shook my head and headed off the other direction.

I was sitting by myself, everyone else was off to watch the boy be saved. More like cursed. It was then that Daniel showed up, "Well hello." I said with a smile, a smile that dropped instantly when I he pointed a gun at my head.

"Where is Eloise?" He demanded.

Putting my arms up, in surrender, "She's not here." There was no way I was about to go get her either, pregnant women and guns never mixed, at least not if I had anything to do with it.

"I need to speak with her!" Before he could say anymore, he was shot from behind, and dropped to the ground. There, standing with a gun was Ellie, even pregnant she could still look fierce.

"Why did you do that?" I asked, rushing over to the dying Daniel.

"He threatened your life." Was all she said, before looking down at the man, "Who are you?" She demanded.

He looked at her, "You knew the entire time." He whispered, his eyes look betrayed, "You knew the entire time and you didn't warn me." Ellie looked at me confused, and all I could do was shrug back.

"Who are you?" Ellie repeated.

"I'm your son." With that he died, and Ellie's hand immediately went to her stomach. She looked visibly sick to her stomach. Charles came out with two prisoners, one of them being the woman who had brought in Benjamin only hours before, in Dharma outfits, demanding answers from both of them. That's when Ricardos came back.

"What's going on here?" He demanded. The two prisoners introduced themselves as Jack and Kate. They started talking about the bomb, and a flight. Nothing they said really made since. But, for some reason Ellie agreed to take them to the bomb.

Ricardos and Ellie set off with Jack and Kate, but when I moved to follow he stopped me. "No, you can not come." I looked up at him hurt, "Don't look at me that way, I know you will be safe here. Don't leave."

"You're not making Ellie stay!" I exclaimed, clearly angry.

"I can't make her stay. I can make you." He snapped back, agitated at the argument.

Without another word, I turned on my heel and stomped off, letting Ricardos leave. I know he just wanted to keep me safe, and when he got back we'd say our apologize and make up, like always. Sadly, I was very wrong, like always. But I didn't know that yet, so I scooped up the leather journal that was in Daniel's hand.

I went back to out tent, and laid on the bed, flipping through pages. Fascinated to find some dated in the 2000's. There were drawings, and formulas written on some pages, notes on another. That's when I found the plan with the hydrogen bomb in it. They planned to blow up the island. They were going to the Swan site, a place the Dharma members thought we knew nothing about. Without telling Charles, like I was supposed to do, I bounded out of the tent and into the jungle ignoring the calls of Charles.

I ran as fast as I could toward the site, which was pretty far. It was two hours before I made it, and by then the man Jack was there holding the bomb above a deep hole. "Don't!" I screamed, but it was too late. He dropped it. I clenched my eyes shut and nothing. No explosion.

Metal started flying down the hole, as the dharma drill hit a pocket of electromagnetism. At least that's what an Asian man yelled. The man Jack got knocked out by a tool box, and crumpled to the ground. A blonde woman screamed as a chain wrapped around her waist. I recognized her as the woman who had been time traveling with Jim the first time we had met.

"Juliette!" Jim screamed, racing after her as she was pulled down into the hole, when he grabbed her hand, "Don't let go! Don't you dare let go. Juliette!" Kate had to pull him back up, before he was crushed by metal, he wasn't holding onto Juliette. "No! Juliette!" He screamed, as more metal flew down the hole, undoubtedly crushing the woman, if she had even survived the fall.

Things kept flying around, until everything went white. I should have stayed at the camp.


	13. Chapter 13

My head was killing me when I woke up, which was odd because I hadn't had a migraine in over 100 years. I groaned, as I sat up and found myself dangling upside down in a tree, my foot caught on a branch. Swinging myself up, I untangled my foot and climbed down.

"Dude! I know how to save him, we have to go to the temple." Someone said, I could barely hear them my ears ringing. Hearing about the temple, I walked towards the voice and saw a blue Dharma Van. Next to it was a very large man, with curly brown hair. "Whoa! Who the hell are you, man!" He shouted, when he saw me. He was surrounded by a small crowd of people and there was a man who was lying on the ground dying of a bullet wound, all people I had recognized to be time travelers except the fat man and the dying man.

"My name's Elizabeth." I said, my ears finally popping. "Have you seen Richard?"

"Weird mysterious, never aging Richard? No." He answered as I looked over and saw Jim holding Juliette's body in his arms. How did he get it out of the hole? Glancing at the Swan site, I saw that it was now a huge crater in the ground.

"I would like to go with you to the temple." I said slowly, "I need to find Richard." The all looked slightly apprehensive, but allowed me to climb into the van with them. Jim and the Asian who had been with Daniel in 1954, who introduced himself to me as Miles, left to bury Juliette as we drove away. In the van I learned the larger man's name was Hurley, and the other Asian man (whom had learned English quite well over the past three years, introduced himself as Jin.

"So, what?" Kate asked, "We're back in the right time now? We're back in 2007?" That made my heart stop.

"What?" I nearly screamed, "What do you mean 2007?" When everyone nodded, "But that's not my right time, I'm supposed to be in 1977!" They didn't offer any answers.

When we reached the hole in the wall, I led them into the tunnel that led into the temple. However before we got into the main part, we were all captured. That's when we were introduced to a Japanese fellow and his translator.

Hurley claimed to be sent by Jacob, which caught me by surprise. What also caught me by surprise, is Hurley gave the man a guitar case, but inside was a big Egyptian symbol, one I had seen on ancient ruins through out the island. The man looked at it, broke it in half, and pulled a slip of paper out. Asking our names, everyone recited them and Jack told him the dying man's name was Sayid Jarrah.

"And what's your name?" The translator asked.

"Elizabeth Alpert." I said clearly, and everyone in the temple turned to look at me.

"Elizabeth Alpert?" The man asked, clearly shocked. The Japanese man said something to the guards, and soon I was being held with my arms behind my back.

"Hey, dude, what are you doing? Leave her alone!" The guards didn't listen, simply pushed me a wall, where I could clearly see a chain connected to the stone. That's when I lost it.

"Don't you dare!" I screeched, fighting and kicking, "I'm not a slave, don't fucking chain me." Needless to say, my words did nothing, and the protests of my group did nothing, and they fastened the chain securely around my ankle.

After, they chained me, I got to watch them try to save Sayid all wrong, in dirty water of all things. He died, like expected, and his body was left on the stone. That's when I realized the small etching on the cuff, as I tried to pull it apart. There in small print, The Silver Sun. This chain was from my boat. The boat that crashed here in 1870. This was my chain.

I stopped moving, stopped breathing, stopped talking. Everyone sat and watched, and then I started to laugh, long and manic, yanking at the chain, and laughing. I was back in my chain, back at the beginning, back at being a slave.

"Dude, I think she's losing it." Hurley whispered to Jack, who was staring at me in concern. It only made me laugh harder. They stopped looking at me when Jim and Miles were dragged in, but I kept yanking at the chain, not caring when the metal sliced into my skin.

Kate rushed to Jim, calling him Sawyer repeatedly. I guess that was his real name. He woke up slowly, looking around, and his eyes landed on me. "Why the fuck is she chained to the wall?" He asked, his voice gruff and pained. He had blood dripping down his face. According to Miles, he took down four Others before getting knocked out. That's when I realized, that these people who chained me where supposed to be my people.

"Good fucking question." I replied with a chuckle, "I'll tell you why I'm in this fucking chain." Ricardos had been right all along, "I'll tell you while we're all here too, while I'm at it." Everyone looked at me, wanting an answer so hungrily after a lifetime of questions. "We're in hell."

"Yeah, she's definitely lost it." Hurley muttered.

"Oh yeah, I lost it. I lost it a long time ago." I spat, yanking at this chain, "I lost it when I fucking came to this island. Jacob thought I had a purpose, so Jacob kept me around a long fucking time."

My rant was cut short when the dead, Sayid sat up. Making all of us stop short of breath and whisper 'oh my god' to each other. But I knew better, this wasn't god's work. This was much darker. "What happened?" He gasped, if only he knew.

That's when Jim, or I guess Sawyer, saw his opportunity and grabbed one of the guards gun. "Unchain, the girl." He growled, and they did just that. I scuttled over to him, surprised at him saving me. "Don't you dare follow us."

They didn't even make a move to. I followed behind him, until we reached the Dharma Barracks. The very deserted Dharma Barracks. What happened to my island?


	14. Chapter 14

"What happened?" I gasped, looking around.

Sawyer looked up at me shocked, then realized I hadn't lived past 1977, "You're people killed everyone." He said simply. I couldn't believe it, didn't want to believe it. Not my people. But then again, my people wouldn't have put me into chains.

He led me into a house, like he owned it. Then I realized, he probably did thirty years ago. Before I could ask him what we were doing he started ripping up floorboards, and pulled a old shoebox up. Inside sat a little ring box, then I realized, he was going to propose to Juliette. He two had lost his love to our trip to the future.

"I'm so sorry, I know how you feel." I whispered, sitting next to him.

"And how do you reckon you know that?" He whispered.

Thinking for a minute I sighed, "Can I tell you a long secret story I have never told anyone. The only one who knows is Ricardos," Sawyer shot me a confused look, "I'm sorry you know him as Richard." He nodded slowly.

"I came to this island in 1870, on a ship." I said, looking up at him to see if he believed a word of it.

"So, I'm guessing you don't age, just like Richard." He drawled, pulling a bottle of Rum from the floorboards as well, and taking a sip. I nodded, and he passed the bottle to me, which I graciously excepted.

"Anyways, back then things were really different. Sadly, I wasn't born into high class society, so by seven I was sold into slavery. I was the Captain's 'personal' slave, and we set sail for the New World when I was 19." Chuckling I looked around, "this wasn't exactly the new world I had pictured, but we crashed here."

Sawyer looked at me sadly, but I continued anyway, ignoring pity, "Well, when pirates get stranded, there really are no laws to begin with, but when we got here all hell broke loose so to speak. I was pulled from the wreckage, and they chained me to a tree." Closing my eyes I continued, "They chained me naked to the tree for three days, and the crew got to do whatever they wanted to me, because slaves weren't people, we were property that could be shared or bought. If I fought I was beaten."

"Damn." Sawyer shook his head, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Now's the good part." I smiled, taking a swig from the bottle, and handing it back to him"On the third night, I was staring into the jungle when one of the crew members was using me, and arrows started flying everywhere. Everyone around me was dying, and the Captain refused to unchain me, and tried to leave me on the beach to die, when he got shot beside me."

"I thought you said this was the good part." Sawyer complained, taking a longer swig of alcohol, before passing it back to me. After a few more swigs, I was getting tipsy, but I continued in my story.

"It is. That's when Ricardos walked out, grabbed the stick the Captain used to beat me and bashed in the Captain's face until he died." Sawyer looked at me with wide eyes, "Then he unchained me and whisked me away and we were together for 104 years," Then my smile dropped, "but I guess we haven't been together for 30 years."

"Well I guess you're romance gone wrong is worse than mine." He mumbled.

I shook my head, "Not worse, just different. You have every right to grieve." With that I stood, swaying slightly, "Thank you for unchaining me, but I really need to find Richard. I would like it if you came with me."

"Thanks for the offer, sunshine." He said, "But, I've business to attend to here. Maybe I'll see you later." He didn't look back at me, when I walked out the door. I saw Kate coming from the way of the temple, and quickly dodged into the woods.

I wandered in circles, trying to figure out where Ricardos might be. Then I decided would be the most logical place to at least find a clue, our cottage. I quickly ran through the trees, and over the creek and I came to our clearing, but I was met with disappointment.

The cottage was old and run down. Vines grew up and around it, and the grass was too my knees as I trudged my way to the door. It took a lot of force to shove open the door, and dust went flying, as I stumbled in. The alcohol I had imbibed not helping my balance.

Inside was a mess. The table was overturned, and a leg was missing, and two of the chairs were broken. I noticed my blanket was still in front of the fire place from the last time Ricardos and I had visited, thirty years prior. Climbing the latter, skipping the few that had been worn down by termites. Our bed was in the same condition, nothing was overturned or ruined like the downstairs. Shaking the sheets, the dust went flying around the room, and I collapsed into the bed. Like I had done many times before, I cried into the mattress, but unlike all the other times Ricardos did not come into comfort me, I fell asleep alone.


	15. Chapter 15

(A/N: I had to switch the POV, so I could explain what has been going on the past 30 years.)

Ricardos POV

I never saw Elizabeth again after the fight I had with her, before going off to help these strangers. I searched the jungle for her, when Charles told me he had seen her run off into the woods. Everyday would be the same, I would search the jungle and then go to the cottage hoping she would show. It was a month before I lost it, throwing furniture around our home. Screaming her name, and crying pathetically into the mattress of our bed.

That's when everything changed. I didn't care anymore. I had no reason to care anymore. The one person who kept me kind and loving was gone. I had Benjamin Linus help me exterminate the Dharma Initiative in 1992, partially because a little piece of me thought they had taken her those years ago.

I watched the plane, with John Locke, and all the other time traveling idiots, crash to the plane. I had Ethan and Goodwin go search the wreckage, hoping that they might find her with them. But of course they didn't. When I met John for the first I realized he had spoken the truth in 1954, he had no clue I had a wife. Was she even my wife anymore.

I ended up giving him the compass, and fixing his leg, witnessing him start vanishing through time again. Everything happened just like they had said it would. Then nothing happened for three years, three long years. And then everything completely unraveled.

John Locke died, and I hadn't even realized that it was the Man in Black walking around in his skin. I didn't realize, until a woman was dumping his body in front of me. Then I saw the red firework in the sky. I had led the Man in Black to Jacob, practically bringing Jacob to his demise.

Still disguised as Locke, he came out of the statue, knocking me unconscious, when I woke I was in a tarp, in a tree. Not too long later I was cut down, and fell to the jungle floor. It was like deja- vu, when the Man in Black untied me, and handed me water, just like he had done when I came to this island, only now he looked like Locke. He started talking about the candidates, when he noticed my confusion he laughed.

"You've been following a man since the 1800s, and you still don't know why." He laughed, when I refused to go with him, and left me there in the jungle. I saw him later leading Sawyer, probably to his demise as well, but when I tried to convince him to follow me I realized he was completely drunk. Stumbling about he told me that sunshine was looking for me. What ever the hell that meant, I ran off when I heard the Man in Black returning, I figured it was every man for himself now.

I went to the temple, only to find everyone dead. That's when I decided to return to where it all began. It was then I ran into Jack and Hurley, ignoring the fact they where in Dharma gear, I started walking past them. "The temple's this way dude." Hurley tried to point him in some weird direction.

"The temple's this way." I said simply, continuing on my way. Hurley and I were both lying to Jack, but they ended up following me. 

When we reached the Black Rock, my ship I had been on before I came to this nightmare, and started clambering through the hole in the side of it. "Dude, this isn't the temple!"

"Everyone at the temple is dead, there's no point going there." I called back to them.

"Well then let's go to the beach. There's dynamite in there." Hurley called after me fearfully.

Turning to look at them, "I know, I have to do something first, something I should have done a long time ago."

"Yeah?" Jack asked, following me, "What's that?"

With a grin I replied, "I'm going to die." After I said that, they scrambled after me. I knelt by the chains, laughing slightly, ignoring Hurley's comments about crazy ageless people laughing when near chains. I think all the time travel scrambled his brain.

I opened the box of TNT, and grabbed a stick, ignoring Hurley's warnings of nitroglycerin and explosion. "Oh I can't kill myself, don't worry. It goes along with Jacob's gift of agelessness." I tossed the stick in the air, "That's why you are here. Because you are going to light it, so I can finally die."

"Why do you want to die?" Jack asked.

"Why?" I scoffed, "I just found out that the man who told me my life had meaning, that I had a purpose on this island, died! The woman I loved is gone and she isn't coming back! So why do I want to fucking die? Because my entire 140 years of being on this fucking island have been meaningless!"

"You're not going to die if I light this." And my eyes lit up when he set the wick on fire. Hurley made a run for it, but Jack sat next to me. I tried to tell him to leave, but he was positive the dynamite wouldn't explode, talking about the light tower and Jacob. Sure enough it didn't light.

I followed Jack out of the ship, and followed him and Hurley back to the camp on the beach. They were greeted with warmth and hugs, from their friends they had left in the present. And I watched from the sidelines, keeping to myself. That was until Ilana, the woman who showed me John Locke was dead, voiced what Jacob had told her. He told her I would know what to do, and they turned to me expectantly.

I just laughed, "You're kidding right? I don't have any idea what we do. I was trying to kill myself, didn't your friend fill you in?"

"But Jacob said-" Ilana tried to argue but I cut her short.

"Yeah, I'm sure Jacob did say that, but everything Jacob ever said was a lie." I said, walking up to her, "Do you want to know a secret? A secret I've known for a very long time?" I paused dramatically, "We're all in hell! All of us are dead and in hell." With that I grabbed a torch and stormed into the darkness of the jungle.

It wasn't until I was sitting I found myself digging up my first wife, Isabella's, cross that I realized I had walked until morning. "I changed my mind!" I screamed into the air, "You said the offer would still stand! Does it still stand?" 

"Does what still stand?" Hurley asked popping out of the trees, I started yelling at him, asking why he followed me, screaming that I didn't know what to do, "Relax, dude! Your wife sent me." My heart soared for any news of Elizabeth. "She wants to know why you buried her cross." My heart nosedived, of course he wasn't talking about Elizabeth, I was just being haunted by the past. 

Tears leaked out my eyes, as he told me that Isabella was telling me to let go, and that she understood everything. I didn't cry for the loss of Isabella though, I cried for the loss of Elizabeth. Then she was gone, and Hurley gave me the last bit of information, that if the Man In Black leaves the island the world goes to hell.

I almost said to hell with the world, when Hurley suddenly interrupted with, "Does Elizabeth know you're married, because she might be a little mad at you when she finds out."

My mouth dropped, and I walked closer to him, "Elizabeth? How do you know Elizabeth?"

"Um, she like was at the temple with us dude." Hurley explained, "They chained her to the wall and she freaked out, went like completely nuts. You guys are really similar though, thinking you're in hell and all."

"They chained her to the wall in the temple!" I exclaimed, "Of course she freaked out!" Then I realized, "Everyone at the temple is dead."

"Yeah, but don't worry." Hurley said with a grin, "Sawyer made them release her, and they left the temple. That made my heart sink even more, Sawyer was with Locke (well fake Locke) alone. "What now dude?"

"She's not with Sawyer anymore." I said softly, not explaining how I knew.

"Well dude, you were with her for how many years on this island?" Hurley huffed, "You don't know her favorite spot on the island?" That's when I realized where she was. She was at the cottage. I turned and took off sprinting. Running towards the clearing, running towards the cottage, running towards Elizabeth.


	16. Chapter 16

I woke up to the door of the cottage being slammed. Bolting up, I scrambled out of bed and peered over the edge of the loft, hoping Ricardos had come for me. I was mildly surprised to see John Locke standing there, with a knowing smile on his face. "John?" I asked, climbing down the ladder and walking over to him.

"Not quite." John laughed, "You should have realized that after 30 years, all the ash would blow away. You didn't even check."

Stepping backward, my back hit the ladder, "You!" I accused, expecting his attack, but he simply stared at me.

"You know, all these years of fighting have been rather pointless." He said simply.

"Pointless!" I screeched, "You attacked me through out the years, not the other way around."

John, well the Man in Black, was suddenly in front of me, pinning both my bare arms against the ladder, "You threatened me by stepping foot on this island, and you know it." He snarled, I looked at him blankly, not knowing why my ship wreck threatened him, he could have easily killed me anytime he wanted in his smoke form. "I guess Jacob never got around to telling you." He chuckled, backing away and shaking his head, "Oh well, no matter. Anyway, I have come to offer you a truce, we can be on the same side Elizabeth."

"No, I'm looking for Ricardos, and getting as far away from you as possible." I spat, which only made him laugh.

"You're really stupid for your age, you know that?" He said, "_Ricardos," his voice was slick and mocking, "doesn't exist anymore. It's Richard now, and he doesn't care about you anymore. He let the past go. That's all you are his past. You've been gone for 30 years."_

"_You're lying." I growled, tears pricking my eyes._

"_Then why did your people chain you to a wall?" He asked, his voice serious, making my heart stop. "He told them to lock you up if they ever found you. I think it's kind of poetic that he chose to put you back in the chain he found you in."_

"_You're lying! He wouldn't do that to me!" I cried, "He loves me!"_

"_He loved you. Past tense. You're just a memory now." He said, walking towards the door, "Come find me if you change your mind." I stood there for a few minutes, glancing at the rundown house. Ricardos hadn't been here in years, it was obvious. He had truly forgotten about me._

_I climbed the ladder, grabbing my bag I kept under the bed, surprised it was still there and packed my old clothing, which had been completely untouched. I packed Ricardos' old boar hunting knife, which he had replaced by an expensive one on his trips to the real world. I had never been allowed on those trips for some reason. I had to stay on the Island._

_I grabbed everything I needed, and stared at the bed for a minute. I pulled off my ring and set it down on the middle of the bed. I knew I wasn't coming back here. I knew Ricardos and I were long over, even if it felt like I had seen him yesterday, truly it had been 30 years. In the end the Man in Black was right, so I left the cottage and didn't look back, following the trail of the fake John Locke. If I had waited 20 minutes, I would have heard Ricardos shouting my name, and watched him burst through the cottage. He would have held me in his arms, and told me he loved me and missed me. However, when he got there I was gone, nothing but my ring was there on the mattress. _

_When I got to the camp John was walking away, he smiled at me knowingly, as I walked over to where Sawyer was sitting next to Kate, talking about getting off the Island. I hadn't ever thought about leaving the Island. "Well, hey there, Sunshine. Find Romeo yet?" He asked with a smile._

_With a frown I replied, "It was brought to my attention that he moved on years ago. It's been 30 years for him, even if it's only been a day for me." _

_Sawyer looked at curiously, "And who filled your head with that bullshit?" I just chuckled and shook my head, "What's so funny?"_

"_He told them to chain me."_

"_What?" Sawyer exclaimed, as Kate's eyes widened._

"_He had them put me back in the chain he found me in." I replied, quoting John. Life on the island had officially come to a full circle._

"_I don't think he wou--", Sawyer began, but I didn't let him continue._

"_Well he did." I snapped, "I didn't he would either, but guess what, some how I got chained up in the same fucking chain I was in on my boat. The chain that only 3 people on the island knew about, one who's dead, one who can't enter the fucking temple, and Ricardos. So which one do you think had the chance to?"_

_I got up angrily, and stalked into the trees, coming back when it was getting dark. I had calmed down, and was walking over to Sawyer when something sharp stabbed me in the back. Pulling it out, I saw it was a dart filled with a clear liquid, and my knees got weak. I slumped to the floor, slowly, not enough tranquilizer had gotten in to my system for me to pass out completely. _

_Out of my barely open eyes I saw a woman kneel down beside Jin, "This him?" Someone asked her and she nodded._

_The woman stood up, as men carried off Jin, about to leave, when she spotted me, "No fucking way." She muttered, rushing over to me, and pushing my long hair out of my face, so she could see me more clearly. "Guys, we have another one who needs to go!" She screamed, and two more men hurried out of the jungle._

"_I thought we were supposed to just get the Asian, leave all the rest?"_

"_Believe me, Charles will be very happy if we bring her with us?"_

"_Why?"_

"_It's Elizabeth." As they lifted me up, my world was surrounded by darkness._


	17. Chapter 17

"Elizabeth, it's time to wake up now." A soft familiar voice wooed me out of my sleep. My vision was foggy, but I could see an old man with thin white hair and sparkling blue eyes. I had see those eyes before, but never this old man. "Long time no see, old friend." The old man said softly too me, handing me a cup of apple juice, a kind smile on his face.

I gulped it down graciously, "Who are you?" I gasped, finishing the entire cup. He laughed at this shaking his head, "What's so funny."

"Nothing, you gave us quite a scare back in '77." He said to me, taking my empty cup.

Then I recognized the eyes and the voice, even as an old man I knew him too well, "Charles?" I grinned, even though we hadn't been close friends, but I clinged to a familiar person. "How's the life of a sodding old man huh?" I quoted him, and he laughed and I joined in. It was such a relief to find someone.

"It's been interesting." He mused, but then he turned deadly serious, "I know you know that thing you were with was not John Locke. John Locke is dead."

"Yes, I am aware." I said simply.

"I don't think Richard would want you following him." Charles was looking down at me sternly.

"Now you listen, Charles." He didn't know the wound he just re-opened, "You may look like an old man, but lets not forget who the elder in the room is._ Richard," _I spat my ex-lovers name, "isn't part of my life anymore."

Charles cocked an eyebrow at me, "We are talking about the same Richard right, as in you're Ricardos."

"He would be the only one I know." I snapped, struggling to get up, but my legs were still shaky. I stumbled a few steps, before Charles caught my arm.

"Richard was a wreck when you left." He said slowly, "I doubt that his changed." I didn't bother explaining, it wasn't worth explaining. I pulled my arm away from him, and walked to the door, only to be stopped by a guard with a gun.

"Charles." I said sharply, "I'm done picking sides, following orders, and I'm really tired of being alive. So either fucking shoot me or step aside." Charles watched me sadaly, but nodded to the guard and I walked down the hall, and another guard led me up a ladder, making me realize we were in a submarine. I knew the Dharma Intiative had one, had Charles taken it, or did Charles buy his own. I was watched carefully as I looked around, realizing I was on Hydra Island, huffing I grabbed a canoe, glaring when someone tried to protest, and started paddling myself across the water.

When I reached the other beach, I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard someone call my name. Turning sharply, I saw the Hurley man, jogging towards me with a grin, "I found you!" He exclaimed, picking me up into a huge hug. "Richard's going to be so happy, come on lets go."

I stopped, digging my heels into the sand, "I don't want to see Richard." I snapped, "I know he doesn't want to see me. So just leave me alone." I snapped, turning on my heal. That's when I heard him.

"Now why would you say something like that." Ricardos said softly, coming up behind me. I spun around quickly to glare at him, and my eyes met with his sad ones.

"Because!" I snapped, backing away, "I know you're the one who told them to do it." He looked at me confused, "You gave them my chain." The last part was quiet.

"Your chain?" Ricardos asked softly, walking closer, "Sweetheart, what are you talking about?" I wasn't going to let him trick me, I knew the truth. With every step he took towards me, I took one back. "Elizabeth?" His voice sounded hurt and lost, but I doubt he hurt as much as I did.

"Don't you act dumb with me. I've been with you, been honest with you, for over a fucking century!" I snapped at him, "My chain, the one you found me in." His head snapped up looking alarmed, he knew he was busted, "You know, the one that fastened so nicely around my ankle." I continued, flashing his my bruised and raw ankle, "You gave it to the fucking temple and the put me back in it."

"Eliza--"

"Don't you Elizabeth me!" I cried, I had tears running down my face, "Just tell me why? After all those years? Did you just get tired of waiting? Decided that maybe you didn't want some dumb slave whore to come back into your life? Decided maybe you liked her better chained to the palm tree? Well maybe you should have just left me with the fucking Captain, so then I wouldn't have lived a lie for a century!"

"No!" Richard roared, closing the space in between us, he grabbed my wrist before I could step back, "Don't you ever say that." He growled, "I would **never **do that to you! I've been searching for you for 30 years Elizabeth! I never fucking stopped, and when I find you, you think that I would..." his voice cracked, and he turned away. Hurley was watching us, shifting from ide to side, unsure of what to do. When Ricardos turned around his angry eyes were dripping tears, and my heart melted. I just wanted to hold him, kiss him, love him, but how could I now? "I love you, Elizabeth." A sob escaped his lips, "I've loved you ever since I saw you in that chain. I helped you because I wanted you with me forever."

"Then why did they--" I started.

"I don't know." He cut me off, "But if they weren't all dead, I'd go and murder them myself." He growled honestly, pulling me into a hug. I allowed myself to relax in his embrace. "I've missed you so much, Elizabeth. I waited for thirty years for you to come back to me." His tears dripped down the crook of my neck where he had burried his head, and I knew his shirt was just as wet from my own tears. He pulled away taking my hand, he kissed it gently, "You will always be the love of my life." He whispered, and then he slid something on my finger, "You'll always be my beautiful wife." Looking down at my hand I saw my ring, gorgeous as ever.

"I love you so much, Ricardos." I murmurred, flinging myself back into his arms, for the mosot passionate kiss of our lives. Which Hurley tactfully walked in the other direction. I was back with the man of my dreams, and we were about to face the man of our nightmares.


	18. Chapter 18

Ricardos traced a finger, up my bare back, as he stared at me in the light of a lantern, shadows flickering across his dark features and bare chest. "I love you." he whispered with a smile, so kind and gentle that it made me giggle, and roll over into his arms.

"I love you too." I would whisper right back.

Earlier, Ricardos and Hurley had sat around the campfire and 'gave me the spark note version' (as Hurley put it, but I really didn't know what he meant) about the last 30 years. At dinner I had met the man who had once been the young Benjamin, whom should have died oh so long ago. I smiled lightly at him, which he seemed surprised at this and looked anywhere but me, but I understood what it was like to be tricked by the man in black, and it was our fault he was such an easy target. I also was happy to see that Miles was not amoung the people killed at the temple, along with Jack. I was also introduced to Jin's wife, a woman who claimed to know Jacob, Illana, and an aging man named Frank.

That's when they told me about blowing up the plane, and the man in black and I filled them in on Charles being over on Hydra Island. I caught a look that flickered between Ricardos and Ben, but I didn't ask anymore questions.

That's when Ricardos saw me yawn and scooped me up into his arms in front of everyone. I blushed, but allowed him to carry me all the way back to the tent. But, the last thing we did was sleep. We laid on a sheet, our bodies entwined together, sharing soft kisses in the soft lighting.

"Ricardos?" I asked softly, and he immediately looked into my eyes, with a soft smile.

"Yes." He asked, brushing a piece of hair out of my eyes, and tracing his finger down my jaw line and over my cheek.

"Why did Jacob think I was special, that I could be a threat to the Man in Black?" That hadn't been what Ricardos had been expecting, and the smile slipped from his face.

"I don't know." He sighed, "I really don't know anything. All I know is that Jacob's dead, the Man in Black is trying to leave, and we have to stop it. Even with 30 years of time, Jacob still never filled me in on anything."

"Yeah, that's what the Man in Black said." That had got his attention, I had failed to mention my brief encounter with him in the cottage, and that I had chosen his side for even a little while. It wasn't a mistake that I wanted announced.

"And when did he say this?" he asked softly, raising one eyebrow at me, and propping himself up on an elbow, peering down at me.

"Yesterday." I mumbled.

"Elizabeth," Ricardos groaned slightly, "Why didn't you tell me." Then his eyes lit up like a wildfire, "I should have realized, that's why you thought all those things, isn't it?" When I nodded, he cursed quietly, pulling me tight against his chest. "Even more reason to find a way to stop him." With that he kissed my forhead, snuggling close to me. "I love you." Then he chuckled, "Sorry if I sound like a broken record, I just haven't been able to in so long."

"Never apologize for that." I giggled again, I felt so happy, even though we were about to fight a fight that could possibly end our lives, and I scolded myself when I thought about what it might be like to finally die. "I love you too." I laid in his arms, with my head on his chest, listening to his steady beating heart. The familliar sound that I had wanted to hear for so long, even if for me it hadn't been more than a couple of days. The sound was my soft lullaby, and a short while later I was fast asleep/

When I woke up, Ricardos was rubbing my back softly. I grinned, and streched like a cat, yawning loudly. He chuckled a soft, "Good morning", before leaning forward to kiss my lips. "I hate to do this, but we have to get up, we have a lot to do today." I moaned, sitting up, letting the sheet drop to my waist, exposing my upper half completely. Ricardos looked at me longingly, and I grinned.

"I guess if we have to." I sighed, making the move to stand, but Ricados' hands caught my waist, and pulled me back ontop of him.

"We might have a few minutes." He breathed against the skin on my neck, as he kissed me lovingly.

"Hey, dude's!Are you guys almost ready to--" Hurley opened the flap of our tent, and I squealed as Ricardos yanked the sheet over my body sheilding my body from Hurley's shocked eyes, as I buried my face in his neck, hiding my shame, "Holy shit, I am so sorry man!" Hurley said, closing his eyes tight and leaving rather quickly.

Ricardos started laughing, and I smacked his chest lightly, "That is so not funny." I said, glaring at him. Quickly I started to dress myself, ignoring the protests of Ricardos, as I smacked playfully at his hands as the kept sneaking back up to my hips. After a minute, Ricardos slid his clothing on as well and we met everyone at the fire. I was unable to meet anyone's eyes. Hurley was about as beat red as I was, but everyone else had an amused look on their face.

"So what's the plan?" I asked, trying to break the ice and move everyone else's minds to something besides Ricrados and I.

Illana, thankfully, was the first to talk, "We need explosives, Jacob said something about a Black Rock." I looked at Ricardos, I knew that was his boat, and it still tormented him, as much as my past tormented me.

Shaking his head, "There's only a few left, not enough to stop him." Everyone knew who he was, the Man in Black. "We need another plan, besides blowing it up."

That's when it dawned on me, "Not exactly." I piped up, causing everyon to look at me with intereast, "We can get dynamite from the Silver Sun."

"What!" Richard gasped, "You're not going there!"

"Ricardos," I said gently, touching his cheek, "We do not have the time to sit and argue, this is what need to be done. You can take Illana to Black Rock, I will take Miles to Silver Sun. We will meet back here."

He looked like he wanted to argue more, but he shook his head, kissed me softly and motioned for Illana to follow him as he dissapeared to the jungle. "Come on." I said to Miles, heading down the beach.

"Where are we going?" He called after me, jogging to catch up.

"My boat."


	19. Chapter 19

Miles kept up with my hurried stride as we went off trail, impressing me on how he could keep up. I had not been to my boat since I crashed, I've started to walk there many times, but I could never bring myself to do it. Whenever I started I would see flashes of the Captain in the jungle, and immediately turn around. I knew it was never really the Captian, the Man in Black just liked to play games like that. Another obstacle, was where my boat was located. You had to climb down into a huge valley by a secluded beach. Ricardos used to go there for monsoon season before my boat crashed there, monsoons never affected the area, the mountains blocked the wind.

"How much farther?" Miles asked.

"We are almost there." I replied softly.

"So when did you crash here?" Miles asked, as I led him down the side of the mountain, careful not to slip off the deadly edge. "Did you skip time like the rest of us? Or do you just not age like Richard?" I chuckled at the question, technically I have both.

"I crashed here in 1870." I smiled, making his jaw drop open, "I stopped aging and then 107 years later I skipped time to here. Reaching the bottom, I opened my arms, "Well here we are." I said, gesturing to the vine covered ruins of the boat.

Miles looked sick, and I noticed all the skeletons had been piled in the corner of the beach. Maybe I should have picked someone with a heavier stomach. I heard Jack was a doctor, he probably had no problem seeing dead bodies. Especially ones these ancient. "The Captain left the girl to die." Miles voice was distant, shaking slightly. Then I realized I brought the wrong person, I had thought Hurley was the only one who could communicate with the dead.

"Excuse me?" I asked, a little harshly. Mile's eyes shot wide open, and he seemed to be shaking the noise from his ears, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah." He muttered, following me into the boat. I saw where I was chained in the boat, before the took me out of the ship. I stared at for a minute before an "Are you okay?" from Miles was noted, and I scrambled back to what I was doing. We grabbed the boxes of dynamite and started caring them out of the boat. Telling him to carry them gently to the jungle edge, I went back for one more box. When I came back Miles was kneeling next to the piles of bodies, his hands on the sand, bowed over, and shaking slightly. I watched with awe as he communicated with the spirits, even if it was the last thing I wanted him to do, it was far to late to stop him.

When he opened his eyes he looked sicker than before. Standing suddenly, and walking backwards, he backed into an oh so familliar tree. It was then that I noticed someone had hung the body of Anthony in the tree. "Miles, watch out." He had bumped into the body before he awknowledged me. His eyes glazed, his body went rigid. I knew he was seeing what had happened before he had died. I didn't want anyone to witness that.

His eyes focused, and his pale face turned to me, "You're the Elizabeth that they're all talking about. You're the girl?" When I nodded, he shook his head, and glared at Anthony's corpse. He grabbed the two boxes and headed back up the mountain, back the way they came. After we were into the jungle he turned to me, "You were a slave." I nodded. "And Anthony..."

"Listen, I know what you were doing. I know you saw him die, so I assume you saw what he was doing before he died." I held back the snap I wanted to put in the statement, scare him out of ever talking about what he heard again.

"Who killed all of them?" Miles asked after a minute.

"Ricardos, rescued me." I said softly, smiling, that was a memory worth remebering.

We were quiet for a while, during the hike back to camp when Miles piped up again, "So you crashing on this Island was like your saving grace, you'd have died a slave if there wasn't a crash."

Smiling, "Yes." I replied, reaching the sandy shore near our camp. "If I hadn't crashed here, Ricardos would have never saved me." I kicked off my shoes, and sat them ontop of the box of dynamite, walking barefoot in the sand.

"And that's why you freaked out when they chained you up at the Temple." Sighing I turned to face Miles, "Sorry for asking a bunch of questions", he said sheepishly, "It's just intereasting talking to a 100 year old woman. Not like I get to do it everyday."

I chuckled softly, at his childlike curiousity, "Yes, that's why I 'freaked'." The word sounded funny on my tongue, which I guess Miles noticed because he started chuckling under his breath. We reached the camp, setting the dynamite away from the camp, incase of an accidental explosion, we didn't all want to be blown up.

Ricardos and Illana weren't back yet. So Miles and I sat on the beach, away from everyone, talking about his gift and mine. All the things we had seen and heard, his were a lot more facsinating I thought. But he said, the opposite thing, he could hear stories from the dead that I could remember. He thought that was ingenius.

"Miles?" I asked, softly, watching the sun set almost like it was dipping back into the ocean.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you to do me a huge favor?" I knew what I was about to ask was going to be a hard thing for him to do, but I spotted Ricardos and Illana walking our way and I only had a few seconds, when he nodded I continued, "If Ricardos dies, during this final battle or whatever...", Miles looked at me worriedly, "I want you to kill me."

"What?" Ricardos was getting closer.

"Don't ask questions, just promise me." I begged. He nodded slowly, and I stood up running toward Ricardos. I was never going to be without him again. No matter what I had to do.


	20. Chapter 20

Ilana had taken the dynamite, ignoring Ricardos' and my protests to let the people who couldn't kill themselves take the unstable dynamite. Then she went on with a speech on how it was her duty to protect the candidates, which I had learned were the people chosen to replace Jacob. Sadly, this meant all except one was probably going to die.

With that thought, Ilana exploded. We all stared at the aftermath, there was absolutely no aftermath. That's when Ricardos got irritated. Huffing, he searched through the bags, arguing with other survivors about getting more dynamite.

"So we're going to the Black Rock to get more?" Jack asked, he wasn't that bright for a doctor.

"No, we can't go to the Black Rock, because there is no more dynamite there." Ricardos glared, then his expression softened when it landed on my face, "We have to go to the Silver Sun." He walked past me, "I'm sorry," was exchanged between us softly, nobody else taking notice. I just nodded. I had the guts to face my past once today, I didn't know if I was ready to lead the entire camp to it.

However, Hurley had to agree with Ricardos. So we set off into the jungle. Ricardos, Miles, and I taking the lead. Ben was behind me muttering about how the Island had been done with Ilana, and he wondered what was going to happen when it was done with us. I wondered the same thing.

As we neared the ship, I shook with anxiety. The last thing I needed was for ghost's of my past talking to Hurley or Miles. "Wait, here." Ricardos said, leaving me and Miles farther away from the ship, and the rest of the close passing us. "Alright, I am the only one touching the dynamite." Ricardos shouted to the group. Well, I would hope so after the last incident.

"God, I hope they blow it up when their done." I muttered to Miles, "A boatload of nightmares, gone in a second. Pardon the pun." I chuckled, Miles smiling back at me.

"Yeah," Miles laughed, but it died when he spotted Anthony hanging from a tree, "I can understand why you would want them to." As if God had answered my prayers, the Silver Sun exploded into a million pieces. Miles shoved me to the ground, covering me with his body, while bits of pieces of wood and steel flew past us.

"Why would you do that!" roared Ricardos, oh shit, somebody had pissed him off. Jumping up, grabbing Miles' hand and rushing forwards, we reached the crowd of people.

"What happened?" I gasped, looking at the remains of the boat. The bodies were scattered over the beach, looking much more grotesque than the pile they had been in. I kicked somebody's head as I walked, keeping the dark grin that wanted to spread easily across my face. Anthony was still hanging from the palm tree, though thoroughly burned. I wondered why Ricardos had hung his body.

"Hurley, blew up the fucking boat." Ricardos cursed, picking up something and throwing it, it was a bone of some sort.

I wanted to hug Hurley, give him my undying thanks, however, I realized with Ricardos so angry, that it probably wasn't the best idea. "Dude, Jacob wanted me to do it." That got our attention really fast.

"Jacob?" Ricardos spat incredulously, "If Jacob's here ask him what the Island is?" I gasped at the fact that Ricardos would question Jacob, had times changed so much?

"What?" Hurley asked blankly.

"If Jacob is really here, ask him what the Island is." Ricardos repeated, I tugged at his sleeve to calm him, but he yanked it away.

"I don't have to answer to you." Hurley bravely announced, "You can either come with me or you can go to the Dharma Barracks and get more explosives. But blowing things up is just going to get everyone killed.

"He's lying, Jacob isn't here." Ricardos stated simply, "Who's coming with me?" Miles and Ben gathered their things and went to follow, but when Ricardos went for my hand I stopped him.

"Ricardos, I think Hurley's right." I whispered to him, "I don't think blowing up the plane is going to help."

Ricardos spun around to glare at me, catching me off guard, "You're going to go with them?" The bite in his voice startled me.

"Sweetheart," I started, but Ricardos grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him.

"How am I supposed to protect you if you go traipsing off in the jungle after that man." Ricardos spat the last word like it was the foulest thing he had ever seen. Perhaps it was, but maybe we had to face what was foul. "Do you remember all that he has done?"

"Of course I remember." I said harshly, matching his tone, "Most of what he did was to me remember." I spat, everyone else had the decency to act as if they weren't listening. "We obviously haven't been successful with dynamite."

"That's because Hurley blew up the fucking ship, Elizabeth!" Ricardos yelled at me. I looked at him, his eyes were angry, which I had seen before. But never in our 107 years together had his anger ever been at me.

"Don't you think Jacob would want us to protect his candidates? How are we going to do that if we leave all of them?" I asked.

Ricardos actually laughed at this, "I don't give shit what Jacob wants!" He said, "I really fucking don't Elizabeth. All I care about is making sure that man doesn't get off this Island. If he does, the world goes to hell, do you understand that?" He actually asked me as if I was a child, a very dumb child. "You're coming with me." It wasn't a question. It was a demand.

I stepped back, "You know what I understand?" My voice was icier than ever, "You're not the same man, Ricardos." His eyes softened slightly, but still held their edge. "I think we should go with Hurley."

"You can do whatever you want." Ricardos hissed, turning away from me, Miles and Ben looked at me with unsure eyes, but followed him just the same, "Just stay out of our way." Ricardos called over his shoulder.

"Ricardos." He kept walking, "Ricardos!" he disappeared behind the tree line, I started to jog after him, "Ricardos!" I screamed, but somehow he had disappeared into the trees. Slumping to the ground, a sob escaped my lips. Had I really just lost him again?


	21. Chapter 21

"Jacob wasn't back there. It was my idea." Hurley confessed to me, as he pulled me up from my spot on the ground.

"I know, Hurley." I sniffled, wiping away the tears that had fallen down my face, "But I trust you." A sad smile graced his lips when he pulled me into a hug.

"I didn't mean for Richard to…" Hurley stopped himself as I shook my head, "We have to get moving if we want to make it there tonight. I followed him without another word, the last one in the line just following the group, silently crying for my yet again lost love.

Halfway through the trek I almost ran back towards Ricardos, but I knew with Ilana gone, somebody who knew the ways of the Island need to protect the candidates. So I kept following, until I heard the whispers. I knew by now what the whispers were, and I half expected to see the Captain jump out of the bushes.

"So this whispers are the people who are stuck here. The people who can't move on?" Hurley asked somebody who could only be seen by him. He was talking to the dead. "And who are you?" After a minute, Hurley's face went stony and he peered back at me before looking back at the air. "Where's Locke?"

Hurley said something about a girl named Libby, and then headed off towards the campfire light we saw in the distance. When we walked into the camp, Sawyer was looking at us like we were the last people he wanted to see. Hurley gave a speech about not hurting us, if we didn't hurt him. 'Locke' agreed, but I saw the evil glint in his eyes, and I saw the way he looked at me.

"Who were you talking to?" I asked, sitting next to Hurley, excluding the others from the conversation.

"Well, first I was talking to Michael, and he told me I was going to kill everybody by blowing up the plane…" he seemed hesitant, like he didn't know if he should continue.

"And?" I pressed softly, and he looked even more uncomfortable.

"Do you know a Captain Kingston?" My heart dropped, and I stared at him for a minute. That was the Captain's last name.

"Yes." I said slowly, "Why?"

"Because after Michael said blowing up the plane would kill everybody." Hurley closed his eyes, "The Captain guy said that bringing you here…would kill you.:

"The Captain told you this." I asked softly.

"I know I should have told you, but then you wouldn't have come." Hurley said in his defense. He was playing with the hem of his shirt, nervous of me.

"I'm not afraid to die, Hurley." I laughed softly, "I've been alive for a very long time." Thinking about the Captain sent chills up my spine, and visions of my life before the Island came rushing back. "Besides, the Captain's a liar. I wouldn't take anything he says seriously."

"He sounded pretty worried. He said that he was stuck for what he did, and he had to make it up to you by trying to save you." Hurley looked really nervous, he looked guilty as well, as if he knew he had brought me to my demise.

I laughed, "Make it up to me by saving me?" Hurley looked at me like I lost it, "I'm guessing he never mentioned what he did?" Hurley shook his head 'no', clearly confused on my reaction to his death warning. "It would take a lot more than saving me for him to make it up to me, lets just put it that way." I muttered darkly.

"But, Elizabeth," Hurley started, "You could be in danger here." I realized he was giving me my excuse to run after Ricardos, he was giving me my escape out of the enemy camp. However, what Hurley didn't realize is the moment I stepped foot into this camp, and locked eyes with Locke, I knew I wasn't coming out alive. There was no point on running.

"I'm in danger wherever I go." I smiled softly, "Don't worry about me." With that I stood and walked over to Sawyer. "Hey." I said softly, and he swung around to look at me.

"Where did they take you a Jin?" Sawyer demanded, grabbing my shoulders. He looked me over for any visible mark of distress, and when he found none he let me go.

"Charles' submarine." I responded, "They let me go and then I found Ricardos and Hurley." I said gesturing to the rest of the group.

"Well then where is Ricardos?" Sawyer asked, looking around.

"I don't know."

"I thought you found him?" Sawyer was confused, and I sighed.

"I did. Then we had a disagreement, and he disappeared again." I muttered shaking my head.

"Elizabeth," A truly evil voice said behind me, "Can we talk."

"About what?" I asked, turning to face the man in Locke's skin.

"Privately please." He requested. Now this I didn't trust, and by the look in Sawyer's eyes neither did he. But my job was to keep the candidates safe, so I followed him out of the camp and into the jungle.

"Where's Richard?" He asked, a small smirk on his lips.

"I know you heard my conversation with Sawyer, don't make me repeat it." I sighed, irritated at his mind games. "So is there a reason you were fucking with Hurley and pretending to be the Captain? Is there a reason you didn't want me to come?" I had actually made the Man in Black speechless, the only one I had ever heard of coming close to doing so was Jacob.

"Hurley saw the Captain?" The Man in Black asked, his voice soft, like coaxing a scared puppy from it's cage.

"Don't play dumb."

"I'm not. I'm stuck in this body, unless I'm in my smoke form." The Man said harshly. So it hadn't been him…That's when I realized my mistake, I should have left when Hurley told me. "So the Captain didn't want you coming here…" Before he could finish my statement I took off through the woods, dodging trees and bushes. Then I stopped when a young boy stood in front of me, staring at me with a small smile.

"Who are you?" I asked, but the Man had caught up and grabbed me by the hair. I let out a loud yelp, as he backhanded me, and I felt my lip split. The boy disappeared, "Who was that?" I gasped, spitting blood on the ground.

"Nobody. You can't escape from me now. You belong to me now. Do you understand?" He smacked me in between sentences, until I nodded in agreement, before shoving me back in the direction of camp. When I stumbled back to camp, I pushed away the helping hand of Sawyer and Hurley and went into a tent that Sawyer had claimed as his. I collapsed onto his cot, sobbing into a pillow. I was the Man in Black's slave now.


	22. Chapter 22

(AN: I'm going off the story line of the show so I can have more chapters, bare with me)

I woke up to someone rubbing the inside of my leg. I smiled in my sleepy state, turning with the expectation to see Ricardos. Expecting to see my love had come back for me, or to tell me it was all a dream. I should have known better. It was 'Locke' who's eyes I met. I jumped in shock and opened my mouth to protest, but a hand clamped around my mouth.

"I'll kill them all, if you scream." 'Locke' threatened, and my mouth instantly shut. He was climbing on top of me, kissing my neck as tears ran down my face. "I've wanted you for the longest time. Ever since I saw you, chained to that tree." He smiled down at me, as he slid up my shirt, and grasped my breast in his hand, squeezing painfully.

I winced and squirmed, but he shushed me, letting his mouth wander across my chest. I shook as his hands wandered up my skirt, playing with the elastic of my underwear. "Now what the hell do you think you're doing?" An angry southern accent said from behind him. Locke whipped around to see Sawyer, standing in the entrance, his face contorted with rage.

Locke stood, and I straightened my clothing, "I told you to go get firewood with Hugo."

"Sorry, boss, I forgot my axe." Sawyer seethed, showing the axe he had in his hand, "Now do you want to explain what the fuck you were just trying to do."

"Elizabeth, explain to Sawyer that he should mind his own business and that I wasn't forcing you to do anything." Locke said simply, but I saw the glare he sent me.

"Sawyer," I sighed, "He wasn't doing anything." My voice was soft, Sawyer trying to kill Locke with an axe wouldn't go over well anyway. Locke wouldn't die, however I was certain Sawyer would.

Sawyer looked at me with utter disbelief, "You expect me to believe that, when there are tears running down your face? You think I'm an idiot?" He asked me.

"I was crying about Ricardos." I lied, "He was just comforting me." Locke gave Sawyer I look of triumph, and Sawyer stared at me for a moment, before shaking his head and leaving the tent.

"Now where were we." Locke grinned, descending back on top of me. This time I just didn't bother to move.

When he left, I lay there with utter disbelief. I had let myself digress back to the early stages of my life, back to the weak worthless Elizabeth. I slid my clothes back on, wiping away silent tears, and standing up. I pushed aside the tent flap, and I was very aware that everyone was staring at me. Most of disgust, but I figured they thought I was just shacking up with Locke, like Richard never existed.

Sawyer walked up to me, without saying a word, he grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the camp and into the jungle. He held me at arms length and looked me over. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine." I shrugged.

"Don't bullshit me, sunshine." Sawyer said sharply, "I know what just happened I that tent, and you aren't going to convince me otherwise."

"So?" I sighed, looking up at him bored. His arms dropped to his sides, taking a step back, looking at me with utter disbelief.

"So! The man was raping you, and you told me he wasn't. Why the fuck wouldn't you say something?" Sawyer ranted, "I would have chopped his fucking head in."

"And when you were done, and he stood up without a scratch, what would you do?" I snapped back, "He would have taken that axe and killed you." Sawyer didn't say anything, "That's what I thought."

"I can't just let him do that to you." He hissed, when he finally found his voice.

"And I can't let you die." I retorted.

"What about you? Huh?" His voice raised with each word.

"What about me Sawyer?" I asked.

"Run away! Find Richard!" He looked so helpless, like he wanted to help me but he truly couldn't. "Tell everyone in the camp, and we'll all leave!"

"Sawyer," I sighed, shaking my head. I knew he would never fully understand. "If I tell anyone, he's going to kill everyone. The fact that you know, is very dangerous. I tried running, he caught me." His eyes fell to my lip. "I need you to be safe, so if I have to be his slave, then that's fine." With that, I walked back to camp, leaving him in the jungle. I knew he was trying to help, but him caring abut me was going to get him killed.

Locke was waiting when I got back, "Good thing you came back. I thought I was going to have to go and find you." His oily voice sickening my stomach. He stroked my cheek, to everyone else it was a sign of affection, to me it was like being pet like a dog.

"Well we wouldn't want that now would we." I muttered, earning me a glare. His hand came out of no where. I hadn't expected him to hit me in front of others. Sun was the only one around, and as far as I knew she couldn't speak English. Her eyes were as wide as saucers though, and she gave a little gasp.

"Don't talk to me that way, Elizabeth." was all he said before leaving me to stand their holding my cheek, and trying to keep the tears from falling. I hurried into my tent before surrendering to the pain. Falling to the mattress, and crying softly.

That's when Sun came in, hesitantly stepping in the tent, and catching my attention by saying something in Korean. "I don't speak Korean." I said, carefully so I didn't sound rude.

She smiled and nodded, sitting down and handing me a note, "I know English," was written followed by, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Sun," not bothering to ask why shy wasn't talking in English. "I'd really like to be alone, if you don't mind." I sniffled. She just nodded and left, but I heard her call out in Korean and run one direction or another. I didn't care. Nothing mattered in hell.


	23. Chapter 23

It was dark when Kate wandered into my tent, I had been debating on what to do about Locke and the candidates. "Hey." She said softly, sitting on the chair that looked like it was ripped out of a plane.

"Hey." I replied, not offering anymore to the conversation.

"Locke went hunting…" She said slowly, giving me a pointed look.

"So?" I responded, sitting up and looking at her.

"So go." She said, "I'll stall for you if he comes back, just get as far away as you can."

"Yeah? And how far do you expect me to get, before he drags me back." I snapped, I wasn't in the mood to be rescued, "We're on an island there's only so many places to run."

"Elizabeth, I mean this in the most respectful way." She stated, yanking me up to stand, "Get you're ass moving." She pushed me out the tent. Looking back at her, she just nodded. With that, I ran.

I ran as fast as I ever had, through the trees, through the creek, not caring as thorns and thickers scratched my arms. I got to the edge of the barracks, I sighed in relief, when I saw smoke rising from one of the chimneys, Ricardos had made camp here.

I watched as Miles, Ben, and Ricardos wandered out of the house. "Ricardos!" I screamed, but a loud familiar mechanical roar erased my voice from the air. "Ricardos!" I tried again, running as fast as I could towards him. I saw his head pop up in recognition, he had heard me. "Ricardos!" I yelled again, I was almost to his line of sight. Almost safe.

"Elizabeth?" Ricardos shouted, looking around wildly, "Elizabeth, where are you?" Smoke barreled past me, heading straight for Ricardos.

"No!" I screamed, running after the smoke. I knew he saw me now, "Ricardos, run! RUN!" I screamed, waving my arms, but he stood and watched me, "RUN!" The smoke hit him in the chest, and he went flying backwards, "NO! RICARDOS!" Tears fell from my eyes, as I watched Ricardos lay motionless on the ground. The smoke had disappeared, but I knew that Locke was still watching.

My heart soared, as Ricardos stirred, and Miles and Ben rushed to his side. "Do I need to do that again, or are you going to come back." I heard Locke behind me.

"Why can't you just leave us alone?" I sobbed to him, looking back at Ricardos as he sat up, blood dripping down his forehead.

"Elizabeth!" He cried out to me.

I made a move to run to him, but Locke yanked me back, "Are you really that dumb?" He hissed in my ear, "You're going to risk everyone for him?"

Pulling away from him, I made up my decision, "I'd rather die than go back to you." I spat in his face, saliva dripping down his cheek. I turned to run, but my world went black, and the last thing I heard was Locke laughing and Ricardos screaming my name, his voice filled with terror.

When I woke up, I was back in the tent. Locke was sitting in the chair, staring at me intently. "I have a surprise for you." He looked evil, as he gave me a crooked grin.

"Anything you have to offer, I'm sure I won't want." I hissed, my head ached, and I felt dried blood matted in the back of my hair.

"To bad it's non negotiable." He yanked me up, and dragged me outside, he dragged me to a small cleared area, with a few palm trees. "Since you seemed to get out of it at the temple, I went back and got it for you." He said, I was confused until I saw the chain wrapped around one tree, the cuff link mocking me as I neared.

"Please don't." I whispered, turning to him, "I'll do anything, please?" I cried softly, and I noticed everyone peering around their tents at us, looking at me helplessly. They were all to scared to stand up to him.

"You'll do whatever I want anyway. But since you can't seem to stop running away, I'm going to make it so you can't." He hissed, forcing me down on the sand, and clasping the cuff around my already bruised ankle.

"It wasn't Ricardos who told the people at the temple to chain me." I muttered, staring up at him from my spot on the ground.

"Well, not exactly, but they thought he did." He smirked, leaving me there to sit in the hot sun, with no possible shade. I didn't try to yank on the chain, didn't try to break it open. Just sat, staring at it intently, I kept coming back to it.

A shadow fell over me, and I looked up, fearing another attack from Locke, but Hurley was standing in front of me. "I am so sorry for bringing you here." He sobbed loudly, pulling me into a hug, crying into my shoulder. Awkwardly I patted him on the back, comforting him.

"Don't worry, Hurley. Everything will be okay." I smiled, even though I knew what I said was probably going to be alive.

"How is everything going to be okay?" He asked, incredulous.

"Ricardos saw me." I said softly, "Ricardos will save me." The last part I told myself rather than him.

"How can you be so hopeful?"

"What else can I have but hope?" I asked, drawing swirls in the sand. Locke came back shooing Hurley away, saying that I was to be isolated, that I was being punished. He told everyone that I was trying to ruin the plans of getting off the island. The ones who believed him, like Jack, Sayid, and Claire (Locke's minion), looked at me with disgust as the past. The others, Kate, Sun, Hurley, Sawyer, and a man named Frank, would look on in sympathy. However, nobody tried to free me from the chain.

Sawyer would bring me water and food whenever Locke was around, which wasn't very often, but I was thankful all the same. Sun would come by with aloe, and rub it on my burned arms and back, if Locke came up, she would just pretend she couldn't understand him. That made me smile. Even with the help of friends, they still couldn't stop him when he decided to drag me into the jungle, and return me bruised. Or when he dragged me into the tent, and I'd come out broken. There was no escape for me. I'd finally die in the chain I was supposed to 107 years ago.


	24. Chapter 24

I laid on my back, staring up at the sky, ignoring the murmur of the other campers. It was all too much to handle, all to much to think about. So I continued to stare up at the stars, praying that Ricardos and I were seeing the same thing.

I heard 'Locke' take Jack aside to "catch up" as he put it. This gained my attention, as I heard leaves and twigs crunch underneath the soles of their feet, as they ventured into the shrubbery, that surrounded my chain. They were talking about Jack's father, how the Man in Black posed as Christian Sheppard to lead the survivors of Oceanic 815 to fresh water.

I wanted to yell, "It's a lie! Don't believe him." But for my sanity, I stayed silent. Listened to the conversation, and then the came out of the greenery beside me and Jack through me a glance. It was a glance I had not yet seen from him. Sympathy? Regret? But why-- He didn't trust the Man in Black either.

That's when Claire came and pulled Jack away. They were siblings? I never would have guessed. She had been trapped out here alone (except the Man in Black) for three years I had been told by Kate. My heart went out to her when I heard she was separated from her baby. At least he was off the Island. This was no place for children, take Ben as an example.

It went back to silence as they twittered back to camp. I was left back to my glorious silence. Locke hadn't bothered to speak to me today, not that I minded by any means. The farther away he was the happier I got. Everything was going great, until I heard guns being drawn, and murmuring. I crept to the edge of my clearing, stretching my leg as far as it could possibly go. Lock must have extended the chain, because in 1870 I could only go about 3 feet, I had at least 12 feet now. The chilling realization that maybe Locke liked his victims to fight more disturbed me.

"Show them what we can do." I heard a familiar voice. Who was that? BOOM. All I saw was orange, and red, as my body was thrown into the air. Dirt and debris flew past, and my foot felt like it had been pulled almost off. A cry escaped my lips, as I slammed into the ground at full force.

I heard voices of chaos and uproar, and my head was foggy. When the dust and wooziness settled, I realized I was no longer in my clearing, however, from here I could see the tree was missing. Wait the tree was missing? Looking down at my leg, that was covered in blood, the sizzling hot chain, burned into my skin. But that was okay. The chain wasn't attached to anything.

"Fuck!" Sawyer cursed, "Where's Elizabeth?" I heard him running for my clearing. I grabbed the heavy chain, flinging it into my shoulder. "You made them blow her up!" I heard him scream, "Because of you fucking chaining her, she's a fucking pile of ash." I thanked his loud voice, as the chain links clanged together and I ran deeper into the jungle.

I hoped they continued to believe I was dead. If Locke caught me escaping again, I sure would be in trouble. My leg was on fire, the chain continued to burn my skin, and sizzled as I ran into the creek. I watched the steam rise up off the creek, and assessed my injuries quietly. The bleeding on my legs was from scrapes and burns. I realized I was burned on my hands and arms as well, and I had a gash along my cheek and forehead, so blood continued to drip into my eyes, blurring my vision.

It was no time to focus on the pain. I had to find Ricardos, once I was with Ricardos I could succumb to the pain. I ripped my skirt, and tied it around my forehead, in a bandage fashion, and then did the same for my leg and arm. Then I wrapped the chain around my shoulders and kept walking.

I paused, leaning against the well, out of breath already, my injuries from the explosion not helping me either. "Well, you look worse than me." Came a heavily accented voice from inside the well. From inside the well? I looked down and saw a rather attractive looking man, with shoulder length brown hair. He was bleeding from the forehead.

"Oh my god!" I murmured, "Are you alright? Did you fall in?"

"No, Locke pushed me down the bloody well." The Scotsman swore. "Looks like someone did quite the number on you though."

"Yeah, I guess you could say I had my run in with Locke too." I smiled sadly, his expression turned to a look of surprise. "Here let me help you." I said, looking around for something to lower down to him. There was no rope or vines anywhere around. "Here," I grunted, lowering my chain and reaching my leg to him. His eyes widened, "Hurry up, this is going to hurt." I said, and he grabbed the chain, pulling my leg, and I gritted my teeth in pain. His hand clasped the edge of the well, when I heard a click, and cold metal pressed against my temple.

"Don't do that, brotha." The Scotsman said, "She's just a girl."

"Get back in the well, Desmond." I heard Sayid state, Locke's number one minion had caught me. I watched as Desmond dropped back to the bottom and sat on the watery ground, hand up in surrender. I mouthed an 'I'm sorry' to him, but he shook his head. "Go on Elizabeth." Sayid said. Wait what?

"Huh?" I said, in all my years, that's the only word I could come up with.

"My orders had nothing to do with you, so unless you want to go back to camp, I suggest you run." Sayid said, his voice soft. Was this a joke, a game? He made no move to grab me, and pointed his gun at Desmond.

"Go on girl." Desmond shooed me, and I didn't wait around any longer, I just dashed into the trees, kept running at full speed, carrying my chain, not daring to look back. I ran until I knew there was nobody behind me.

As I reached the Dharma Barracks, I prayed to God I would not be caught, and that Ricardos was still there. There was no smoke coming from the chimney, and my heart sank. I clambered over to the house, pushing open the door. Nothing. There was no one there, no light, no sound. I checked a few more houses, before giving up. They had already left.

Would he be at the cottage? I started to head in that direction, then stopped. Why would he go to the cottage? Locke would probably look for her there first anyway. What if Ricardos was there and Locke came looking for her? My stomach sickened, and I sent another prayer for Ricardos' safety.

I sat on a dock, dipping my bare aching feet into the water. I sighed, and closed my eyes, leaning up to the sky, when I heard a branch snap. Turning suddenly, I jumped as someone emerged from the bushes. My chain dropped from around my neck, onto the wooden deck, and then into the water. My foot slipped out form under me, and I was pulled into the water. The last thing I saw before smacking my head on the edge of the dock, was Sawyer's shocked face.

Water engulfed me, as I tried to swim upwards, but the chain kept pulling me back down. Could this kill me? I wasn't quite sure, when the water filled my lungs, it sure felt like it could. Hands gripped my hands, another pair grabbed my waist, and I felt another down by my ankles, as my vision dotted with black, bubbles surrounding me in every direction. I was pulled and shoved, until my body hit the dock, and I lay on my stomach gasping for air.

"Breath." Sawyer, who was dripping wet, said to me, patting my back, as I coughed up water, choking on seawater and saliva. "You're okay." Rolling on my back, I sighed. "We thought you were blown to bits, sunshine." He had a soft smile on his face, "Even old Locke thinks you're a goner." Good was all I could think. I felt him pick me up, and was laid on the inside of a boat.

Jack, who was just as wet as Sawyer immediately started checking over me. Unwrapping my makeshift bandages, then rewrapping the tighter. Apparently I didn't look good enough to move on my own. Which I didn't mind, the trek had been on pure adrenaline, and now that I was in a boat, seemingly safe, my body relaxed, and my eyes closed. Sleep consumed me as the boat swayed back in forth.

"JACK!" I heard Kate scream, and I jolted awake, my head throbbing. I saw Jack floating in the water behind us, had he fallen over board. "What did you say to him?" Kate asked Sawyer, tears in her eyes. Had Sawyer thrown him over.

"He changed his mind." Sawyer snapped, taking the wheel of the boat. His eyes caught mine, "Morning sunshine." He flashed a grin towards me, but I could tell it was forced. For some reason he was trying to comfort and protect me, he had been since I came to camp. Ironically, I had been the one supposed to protect him.

"Where are we going?" I groaned, I leaned my head on Hurley's shoulder, which I was glad to find him sitting next to me, like a worried mother hen.

"To get off this damn Island." Sawyer grumbled, my eyes snapped back open, looking at him with alarm. "What's wrong, sunshine? Don't tell me you don't want to leave either."

"I don't!" I exclaimed, "I'm not allowed to leave. Jacob's orders. It's very important to stay on the island. For all of us to!"

"Jacob's dead." Sawyer sighed, clearly agitated by my response.

"Haven't you learned by now, death doesn't really matter here. You can see death everywhere you look." I replied, "We have to keep the Man in Black from leaving the Island, and I have to find Ricardos!" I couldn't leave without Ricardos. I needed him back so much. My heart ached, and I felt tears slip down my face.

Sun looked at me with sympathy, as I choked back the sobs I held for my lost lover. Hurley patted my back soothingly, as we reached a familiar beach. Sawyer scooped me into his arms, and Hurley placed my chain gently on my stomach. Sawyer struggled out of the boat, ambling up the beach, when I heard the familiar click of guns.

We were told to put our hands up, and kneel on the ground, "Do you see the injured woman in my arms?" Sawyer growled, I was yanked out of his arms and into someone else's. "Hey!"

The woman used a walkie-talkie to page Charlie, "Elizabeth's back. She's hurt. Do you have a visual on Locke? Fire when ready." Three big explosions sounded, and my nerves panicked, causing me to flail in the new man's arms. "What's wrong with her?"

"Oh I don't know you did blow her up earlier, maybe she's a little nervous around you?" Sawyer snapped. I felt a tiny pinprick in my arm, and my vision went black.


	25. Chapter 25

When I started to regain consciousness, I heard the moan of metal, and my body hit the ground. Arms almost immediately found their way around my waist, pulling my into someone's lap, my head leaning against a soft comfy pillow.

When I finally opened my eyes. I realized that soft pillow was Hurley, who was rocking me softly. "Hey, you're awake!" He grinned at me, as I sat up, looking around. Kate, Sawyer, Sun, Hurley, Frank and to my surprise Jin was in the cage with me.

Watching Jin and Sun in the corner, this was the first time I had seen them. My heart ached for them when Hurley whispered to me that the Island separated them for three years. I hadn't realized the were married. Sun was speaking English, which through me for another loop, but my head hurt too much to bother.

"Good morning, sunshine." Sawyer knelt in front of me, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." I gave him a pathetic excuse for a smile. I was the farthest from fine I had been in a very long time. My body as well as my mind had been run ragged. And in my heart, I knew I was never to see my Ricardos again. My gut told me one of us wasn't going to make it to the end, and the other was going to live on forever. Selfishly, I prayed to be the one to die.

"They took you somewhere before they brought you here." Sawyer said, "Do you know where? Did they hurt you?" He was so worried, which was nice, but unnecessary. That's men for you though, either the abuser or the protector, they have to be one.

"I don't know, Sawyer, I just woke up." I stated simply, still leaning against Hurley. I was too tired to really move. Looking down at m leg I saw the chain around my ankle was gone, however the cuff link was still there burned into my flesh. A reminder to curse me, I suppose.

He was about to say more when the power went out. Just like that. People were running around the cage, talking about the generator or what not. We all just stared at our captor in confusion, before I heard it. The faint chittering of the smoke.

"No." I mumbled, scrambling back out of Hurley's lap. The smoke was attacking the people around the gate, one man was thrown into the cage, landing with a heavy thud. "He can't see me." I whispered to myself, rocking, "Please don't see me." Hurley tried to calm me down, as Frank started kicking the door wildly, as Kate tried to reach the keys that were attached to the dead man's belt just a few inches out of reach.

"Jack!" Kate gasped, as I looked up I saw Jack really was there opening the cage for us, and letting us out. Sawyer cocked his gun towards the trees as Sayid came rushing out.

"He's okay." I whispered to Sawyer, "He let me go." pushing the gun down so it pointed to the ground. Sawyer held my gaze only for a second, before Jack hearded us somewhere. I couldn't pay attention, my attention was captured by the loving glances exchanged between Sun and Jin, the re united lovers. My heart ached, and envy pulsated through my body. Why couldn't that be Ricardos and I? Why couldn't I have my lover back. Being together for a hundred years, for it to end like this? We really must be in hell. My suspicions of our location were confirmed, when I overheard that we were going back to Locke. "Are you fucking crazy?" I screeched stopping, "Didn't we just run from him? Didn't we just escape?" I shouted at Jack, who was looking at me with confusion. "I just got away from him! You can't make me go back!" Sawyer wrapped his arms around my shoulders, leading me farther and farther into the jungle.

"It'll be fine, sunshine." He muttered to me, "He ain't going to fucking touch you, that's for damn sure." I might have been imagining it, but Kate shot me a glare, short but deadly. I dind't get it, what had I done besides save her.

"No." I muttered pulling out of his arms. "I'm not going back." I whispered, "Bye, James." He looked at me confusedly, before I took off sprinting through the jungle, ignoring Sawyer's shouts for me to return. I couldn't, I couldn't be that slave again. They couldn't force me to go back to him. Thickers and branches lashed at my already bruised body, but I ignored the pain. I ran until I didn't know where I was, and stumbled into a clearing.

My heart stopped, when I realized what I did. I ran right to the Man in Black. How could I have been so stupid. I was facing the Ajira plane, two bodies laid at the wheels of the plane. The rest of the group stumbled out of the brush, confused when they saw me. I was about to turn and run when I heard him. "Well isn't this aa pleasant surprise." The Man in Black decended from the plane. "And here I was thinking you were dead." He came up next to me, placing a hand on my cheek, "I was very worried Elizabeth." I knew it was a lie, I could see the smirk in his eyes.

I backed up until I was next to Sawyer, "You've got to be kidding me." I was almost in tears. Every escape route ended up being a cirlce that led me back to this monster. There was no escape there was never an escape. I had let myself believ I could hide from the Man in Black, but really how much hiding can you do on an island?

"Don't worry, I'm getting you out of here." Sawyer breathed to me. I dind't believe him not for one bit.


	26. Chapter 26

Sawyer stayed glued at my side from that point. Only leaving me for an instant to talk to Jack. I didn't speak as Locke told us how Charles was planning on killing us all, and my stomach had dropped down into my stomach. Charles wanted us dead? But Charles was on Ricardos' side, wasn't he? Was Ricardos trying to….No I refused to believe that, I refused. Charles had placed explosives in the plane. He wanted us to be stuck in a small place with nowhere out. I watched Locke put the explosives on a backpack, while it went unnoticed to everyone else.

I wanted to tell them, yet again they couldn't leave the island, they couldn't let the Man in Black leave either. They didn't understand, they wanted off this Island, and I couldn't stop them from trying. "I can't leave." I told Jack, when he sat beside me as Sawyer went to talk to Locke. "Jacob told me never to leave."

Jack nodded, "I'm not leaving either," He told me, "I'm just helping them." I wanted to tell him that was even worse, helping them leave was like pulling a trigger of a loaded gun, not caring where you aimed it. We started hiking after that, before anymore of the conversation could take place.

We walked to the sub, which looked to have no guards. That was strange, usually Charles was much more prepared. Much more ready for attack. He had held war in his heart since he had first came to the Island. Ricardos always said it would be his downfall.

"Just because they're aren't any guns on the outside, don't mean there aren't any on the inside. We go in hard, the rest follow 30 seconds behind. That's when everything unraveled. We set out towards the submarine, hurrying as fast as we can, when guns started firing out of nowhere.

I heard a yelp of pain, and turned to see Kate falling to the ground, a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Jack shoved Locke into the water, and rushed for Kate. Wait? What? They were leaving Locke? They weren't helping him leave? I watched Locke try to climb back on the deck, as Jack struggled to lift Kate over the submarine.

Without thinking I ran towards Locke, and kicked him as hard as I could in the face. Knowing that it wouldn't do much, I scrambled backwards. Shocked, Locke stared up at me angrily. His nose was bleeding. Wait…he was bleeding? Before I had time to process this, something even more alarming caught my eye. Jack was wearing the backpack.

"Stop!" I screamed, running for the sub, as Jack descended into it. Locke grabbed my ankle, but I kicked him again, which surprisingly loosened his grip. Sawyer's head popped out of the submarine, and he shouted for Claire, who ignored him. "Sawyer, listen, you need to get everyone out--" Sawyer pulled me inside before I could finish. Closing the door shut, the loud noise of the submarine diving drowned out the sound of my pleas for them to stop. Sawyer dragged me back to where Jack was fishing through his back, stopping with alarm. "I tried to tell you." I said, my eyes full of tears, as he showed the bomb. We were all going to die.

They shouted to go back up, but we didn't have enough time. We had fallen into another one of Locke's traps. Did exactly what he wanted to do. Jack and Sawyer argued back in forth, as Sayid told them he thought it could be disabled.

"Let me do it." I said, I can't kill myself." I said, making a grab for the bomb.

"No way, Sunshine." Sawyer said, "Technically Locke would be killing you, I ain't letting that happen." His voice was harsh, but I knew it was out of worry, "I'll do it." He pulled the wires simultaneously. Again, it was another trap, as Sawyer pulled the wires the timer sped up.

Sayid said something to Jack about a Desmond, and before we could blink, he grabbed the bomb and ran. The explosion went off, and the sub jolted violently. Before we knew it, water was gushing at our feet.

"Where's Sayid?" Hurley shouted, as Jack urged him to leave with Kate. Sun was pinned to a wall, while Jin was struggling to get her free. "What about Sayid?"

"There is no more Sayid!" Hurley looked like he had been slapped in the face, but it was no the time to be freaking out. He made his escape with Kate. What about Frank? I wondered for a split second, before wading over to Sun, trying to help everyone in getting here free.

"Elizabeth!" Sawyer growled, "Get out of here, you need to go!" I shook my head, and continued to help them try and free Sun. "This ain't a game, girl." He shouted, pulling me away, "Get the hell out--" before anymore could be said, a beam fell and hit him on the head, knocking him unconscious.

Jack tried to stay behind and help them get free, but Jun told him to get Sawyer to leave. Assuming I'd follow he dived under the water. Jin and Sun stared at me, as I continued to pull on whatever it was that had Sun stuck beneath the water.

"What are you doing, you need to leave." Jin urged, continuously yanking the object that was now submerged underwater. We were up to our neck in water now.

"We can do this."

"Elizabeth." Jin turned to me. "Surely you can understand." Looking at him, I did understand. Jin knew there was no saving Jin. She had already begged him to save himself. He was staying behind to die with her. I nodded slowly, looking at the both of them. If I was going to get out I had to do it now, so without another word, I dived.

The water and bubbles surrounded me, and it felt like an invisible force was trying to pull me back into the submarine. I finally found the whole, and pushed myself out, kicking as hard as I could towards the surface. I was thrown by the waves, onto the sandy shore, sea foam surrounding me. I didn't bother to open my eyes. I knew Sun and Jin were dead by now. Finally reunited, only to be killed a day later. That's the way love was around here. Everyone always dies.

I heard Hurley start to cry, and I opened my eyes to see them a ways down the beach. Sawyer was lying on the ground coughing, while Jack stood to look at the ocean. I couldn't think about them though. I thought of Ricardos, were we doomed to the same fate as Sun and Jin. Would we even be lucky enough to be reunited?

I got up walking to the edge of the trees, "Ricardos," I sobbed, "Please come back to me. I'm sorry for running off all those years ago. I'm sorry I went to Locke's camp." The words came out stuttered and crackling, as tears fell down my face in a persistent storm of sorrow. "Please find me, I don't want to be here without you." My voice raised, "Ricardos, please!" I shouted, "Don't make me be here alone! I need you." Frustrated, my fists met the sand and I screamed, "RICARDOS!" My head fell to the sand, as I kneeled there sobbing for the return of my love.

Arms wrapped around me carefully, but I knew it was not my Ricardos. It was Sawyer, still breathing slightly uneven from being knocked out. "We will find him." He whispered to me, "I will help you find him." I grabbed onto his wet shirt, turning to bury my face in his shirt. "I promise you, I will help you find him."


	27. Chapter 27

They were all asleep, in a worried kind of sleep. The kind that leaves you shaking, or you snap awake at the tiniest sound. Sawyer had snapped awake, gun in his hand before he realized it was a rabbit. I didn't let him see me laugh, he was to hurt for me to be amused by it.

It was a good thing I had years of practice walking silently through the woods. Ricardos had taught me well. I smiled at the thought of my lover, stepping quickly over logs and around trees. It was pitch black, but I had this place memorized, I knew where I was going.

That's when I saw it. That flash of light. I had only seen it twice while on this island, but the sight was unmistakable. Could it be Ricardos? Was he here to save me? Whisk me away? I chuckled almost deliriously, I had given up hope of finding Ricardos. But I walked towards the light all the same. My mind was an empty shell, my body void of a soul, mindlessly walking the island. I was so lost.

"Hello, Elizabeth." I nearly jumped out of my skin at the voice, but smiled when I saw who it was. Jacob, sitting on the edge of a little stream, which led into a bright light. What was this gorgeous place? The light drew me towards it, like a warm glow of peace.

"Jacob." I said, holding back tears and sobs. My body hurt, my mind hurt. Everything hurt, and for what? "Where's Ricardos?" I begged, dropping to my knees in front of him, "Please, tell me where he is." Jacob looked at me with a sad smile on his face, placing a hand on my cheek.

"Go towards the barracks, Elizabeth." He whispered.

I shook my head, "He's not there, I went there." My voice was pitiful, full of despair.

"Elizabeth listen to me. Go towards the barracks, go find him." He said sternly, "Don't give up quite so soon. There is still time." He walked away into the jungle, and I called his name, stumbling after him. He had disappeared, and so had the light. No matter where I walked, I couldn't find that warm glow.

I headed to the barracks, slowly. My feet were in so much pain, the burns and scrapes were infected and swollen, the cuff on my ankle pulling at the burnt flesh. I didn't know where the injuries from Locke ended and where the injuries from the sub began. My body was a canvas of yellow, purple, red, and blue. "Ow." I moaned loudly, choking back a sob as the metal cuff pulled more skin away from the burn.

"Elizabeth?" I heard a voice call out. My head snapped up in alert. It couldn't be. "Elizabeth? Is that you?" The voice was anxious, and coming near. Was I hallucinating? Did I really just go insane. "Elizabeth?" It sounded so close, surely it was real.

"Ricardos?" I called softly, worried this might be another trap.

"I heard her." That was Miles' voice.

"Ricardos!" I said louder.

"Elizabeth!" Ricardos shouted, I heard rustling of leaves, twigs snapping, and Ricardos ran out of the trees. He stopped in front of me, his chocolate eyes wide and full of sorrow. "Oh my god, Elizabeth." He breathed, walking up to me slowly.

"Ricardos?" I sobbed, finally letting the tears escape. My feet couldn't hold me anymore, I fell into him, grabbing onto his shirt. "Ricardos, I love you. I love you so much." I muttered, clinging to him as if he was my life support.

"I love you too." Ricardos soothed me, rubbing my back, stiffening when I flinched as his hands swiped bruises. "I won't leave you again." He swore to me. "Lets get you to camp, so I can look you over." He didn't ask, just took charge. He lifted me into his arms, and carried me to a secluded spot where they had made camp. I fought against sleep, I didn't want to waste a moment with my love.

"I'm sorry for going with Hurley. I should have stayed with you." I whispered, as he laid me down, and started searching through his bag.

"Shhh," He hushed softly, pouring water from his canteen onto a rag, "I shouldn't have let you go." Miles and Ben went off into the jungle, giving us privacy as Ricardos helped me out of my ragged clothes. He stopped, taking my leg into his hand, lightly tracing the cuff. "He burnt the thing on you." Ricardos growled, he went to work gently removing the skin from the cuff, and tucking a bandage underneath, stopping at every hiss I made, careful so that it didn't cry put in pain too much.

"He chained me to a tree." I spaced thinking about what else had happened, "Made me his slave." Ricardos traced the bruises up my legs, his fingers barely touching the ones on my thighs. "Someone blew up the tree." I flinched at the thought of the explosion. "Then I ran to the barracks." Ricardos' eyes met mine at this.

"When?"

"Two maybe three days ago?" I said, "I don't really know. I've been knocked out a few times." I muttered the last bit. "Then I got locked in a cage, after that, Locke tried to blow up the submarine." I was starting to ramble, "Then Jacob and the flashing light. But now I'm back to you." Did I make any sense? Probably not.

"Elizabeth." Ricardos stated softly, he was washing me softly with the rag, tenderly going over the cuts and burns. "Try and get some sleep, I'll wake you up in the morning." Did he think I was crazy?

"I'm not crazy." I spat, more harshly than I meant too. Ricardos looked at me with alarm.

"I never said you where, love." He smiled softly, gently caressing my cheek. He helped me into a new shirt and pants, before laying down next to me. "I just have been wanting to hold you for a very long time." He whispered into my ear. My arms wrapped around him, and I fell asleep to him saying, "Besides, we have to go to the barracks in the morning."


	28. Chapter 28

_I turned and cuddled against the man beside me, breathing in the scent of him. I smiled, as he turned towards me, wrapping his own arms around me, holding me tight. I was back with Ricardos, everything was right again. His grip tightened suddenly, squeezing me painfully. My eyes shot open, greeted by the sight of Locke, holdding me tightly, a mean glint in his eye. "Thought you could escape." He growled, his hand ripped at my clothes, his hands carressing my body._

_"No!" I cried, struggling to get away. "Ricardos, please help!" I screamed, looking around frantically. My eyes stopped at Ricardos' broken form, just inches from my reach. "No." I moaned, "No, please no." He was staring at me with that gruesome blank look, that only the dead could master. Locke laughed above me, "I'm going to kill you!" I screamed, struggling and kicking. I screamed and screamed, kicking, hitting punching._

"Elizabeth, calm down."

_"You killed him!" I cried, my fist made contact with Locke's face. Blood dripped from Locke's nose onto my chest._

"Elizabeth! Wake up, please!" What? My eyes snapped open, sitting up so fast my head almost colided with Ricardos. Ricardos?

"R-R-r-icardos?" I stuttered out.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Ricardos was immediately next to me, wrapping his arms around my body. I laid my head down on his chest, listening to his still-beating heart.

"I love you so much." I broke into sobs, clinging to his chest.

"I love you too, Elizabeth, with every inch of my heart." He murmurred into my hair, I pulled away to smile at him but the smile was lost along the way. A trickle of blood was peeking it's way out his nose, and the nose was bruised.

"Oh my god, your face!" I gasped, pulling him close to me. I grabbed my old shirt and used it to wipe the blood from his face.

Ricardos laughed, "Well you always did have a strong right hook." My face flushed red when I realized I had been the one to hit him. "Want to tell me what you were dreaming about?" He asked, laying beside me and pulling me into his arms. It was a perfect fit, his chin on the top of my head, my cheek pressed to his chest. I missed this so much. When I didn't answer right away he sighed, "Sweetheart, you were screaming at the top of your lungs and punched me in the face. You scared Miles and Ben, they went rushing to get you water." At that part I chuckled, "Tell me what's going throught that beautiful head of yours."

"I had a dream." I muttered, "Locke killed you, and he was trying to..." I shook my head into his chest. Ricardos held me tighter, and allowed me to end there, since Miles and Ben wandered back on camp.

"Good, you're awake." Miles said, obviously relieved, as he handed me a small canteen. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just a nightmare." I said sitting up, Ricardos followed suit, but continued to have his arm around me. I was thankful for the love and comfort, it had felt like ages since I had felt such affection. I drank the water greedily, gasping as I brought it away from my lips. "Thank you." I said softly. Ben made the comment of needing to keep moving, they needed to get the C4 from Ben's house on the barracks.

Ricardos walked slowly along next to me, so I didn't have to hurt my legs by hurrying to catch up. At certain points he would just pick me, carrying me a ways. When I would protest he would just say, "Let me take care of you." I would for a short time, but then demand for him to let me down. A few minutes later he would just pick me up again. It was nice, how we were acting like the world wasn't about to end. We made it to the barracks, making our way slowly to Ben's house. At the picket fence, Miles sensed a body, claiming he got weird around dead stuff. Ben was pestering him to share, which it was all too clear that was the last thing Miles wanted to do. "It's you're daughter Ben." Ricardos spoke, "When you left, I buried her."

"Thank you," Was all Ben said, as he stared at the ground. I hadn't known he had a daughter, my heart went out to him. I stood in the kitchen as they went down for the explosives, I didn't really want to be near it after my last bomb incident. Thanks to Charles and his friend, the keyhole in the cuff link around my ankle was melted. But atleast Ricardos had made it so it wasn't burned into my skin any longer. My thoughts were disrupted as I heard the front door open. My heart raced, I should have ran, should have yelled, but I was so terrified that Locke was about to find me again, I was frozen still.

It wasn't Locke, it was Charles' friend, the one who blew me up. I think it was an accident, but I'm still a little weary. "What are you doing here?" I snapped, grabbing a kitchen knife from the counter.

"Elizabeth calm down, we aren't here to harm you?"

"Bullshit, you already blew me up once, you think I'm going to let you do it again."

"She what?" I heard Ricardos growl, bounding up the stairs and stepping in front of me. "Who the hell are you?"

"My name's Zoe, we have a mutual friend." She said, raising her arms in surrender. Before anymore could be told Charles walked in, gaining looks of shock from every one. Ben's gun found itself aimed at Charles' head. Oh shit! What had I missed.

"Zoe go to the docks. Get our equipment and sink the outrigger." She did as she was told, "You kill me, you all die." Charles snapped at Ben, who lowered his weapon. That's when Charles turned to Ricardos, "What are you planning on doing with those explosives?"

Ricardos glanced at Ben, "To blow up the plane."

"I've already had the plane rigged with explosives," Charles grinned, "Like always I am three steps ahead of Ben." Cocky much?

"Actually," I interjected, "The explosives in the plane blew up the sub." That seemed to catch Charles by surprise.

"How'd you even get back to the Island, Charles?" Ben spat. Charles wasn't always on the island? How confusing could this get.

"Jacob visited me." That's all he got to say before Zoe radioed him, saying that Locke was docking and heading our way. My blood ran cold, my body began to shake.

"He's going to kill you if he sees me." I whispered, "We have to go we have to leave." I was hypervenelating, a panic attack creeping up to me.

"I second that." Miles said, scrambling for his stuff. Ben disagreed saying he was just going to catch up wth us sooner or later.

"Ricardos, he can't see us." I whispered, "He'll kill you, he swore he'd kill you."

"You need to run, if he sees just me, then he won't kill me, if he sees the both of us..." Ricardos kissed me, "I'm not letting him have you again, let me save you." Tears were falling down my chin, "Go with Miles, I will find you again. I promise, my love. I will save you." There were tears in his own size.

"No I'm not leaving you." I sobbed, "Please Ricardos, leave with me, run with me."

"Miles, keep her safe." Ricardos said to him, brushing away my tears, "Run, Elizabeth. I will find you."

"Ricardos, please!" I moaned, but I he urged me towards Miles, so with one last passionate kiss I ran off into the jungle with Miles. I heard Ricardos walking out of the house with Ben. Once I was sure no one could see me behind the shrubbery, I turned to look. I wish I hadn't. I looked soon enough to see the pillar of smoke connect with Ricardos' body. I let out a scream, but Miles clasped a hand over my mouth. My muffled cries and screams vibrated asgainst his hand, as he continued to drag me away as I fought to go chase after my lovers body.

"Shhh, don't get us killed." He whispered, Ricardos was sent flying throught the air, I could here him cry out as he disappeared through the trees in the othe direction.

"Oh god." I moaned, as Miles half dragged me away, my legs going limp. He finally let me sit, half a mile later. "He's dead. Oh god he's dead."

"It'll be okay." Miles tried to soothe, but I know he just didn't know what else to say.

"Miles?"

"Yeah?"

"Please kill me now." It came out as a whisper, but I knew he heard me. Our eyes connected, it was finally time to die.


	29. Chapter 29

"Kill me, please!" I half screamed, half begged, pathetically on my knees in front of Miles, "Please, you promised, please!" Tears were running down my face, sobs choking me, as I gasped for breath. My love was gone, there was no way to survive the smoke.

"Elizabeth, I can't." Miles said softly, kneeling in front of me, "I'm so sorry, I can't. I-"

"Fine!" I snapped, cutting him off. "If you won't I know who will." I got off my knees and started walking.

"Where are you going?" Miles called after me

"To die." I said softly, running before he could hear what I said, slipping soundlessly through the woods. My lover was gone, there was no happy ending for us. The thought of a happy ending was foreign, make believe. I would kill the Man in Black, or die trying, and I was hoping for the later. I was about to walk between two trees when a hand snatched mine.

I turned wildly, turning to strike, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, there spitfire." Sawyer said, raising his hands in my defense. "Where did you run off too?"

"I found Ricardos." I said simply, watching as he peered between the trees before walking along side me.

"And why aren't you with Romeo now?" He asked cheekily. For the first time ever I wanted to smack him.

"He's dead." I spat bitterly. "He decided to meet the smoke." Foolish stupid Ricardos. Never thinking. He should have ran with me, ran and hid. Or was I the coward? Was I stupid and foolish. I should have stayed and died with him.

Suddenly Sawyer had me down on the ground kneeling before a bush. In the distance was the man I loathed. The Man in Black. My Ricardos' murderer. Sawyer held me back, as I made a move to go after him, attack him. Make him feel any kind of pain. Sawyer gave me a look of disbelief.

"If you're going to watch you might as well join us." I heard Ben say behind us, the click of his gun, very audible to my ears. A normal person would have froze, but I spun around and stepped straight towards him.

"Please shoot me Ben." I whispered softly, Sawyer stood up with alarm. "Please just do it."

"Elizabeth!" I heard Locke's amused voice, "James! What are you two doing here?" I spun around, an angry glint in my eye. No worry of being shot, tortured, or enslaved.

"You killed him you son of a bitch!" I screamed, striding up to him, Sawyer jogging quickly behind me. My hand connected with Locke's face before he could get to me. His head snapped back, but he kept the smile on his face, as Sawyer picked me up and dragged me back.

"Sorry, my associate has lost her damn mind." He spat the last bit to me, "I heard Desmond fell down a well, came to help him get out." Simultaneously we peered down the well, and there was no Desmond. "Guess someone both beat us too the punch." He quipped.

"You know why I want Desmond." Locke asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My guess is you need him to destroy the island." Locke wasn't expecting that answer, but then agreed that that was his plan.

"But I don't plan on going down with you and the rest of Jacob's little candidates." He looked me over, "Or his little slave girl."

Without hesitation, Sawyer hit Ben and stole his rifle, "We ain't candidates anymore." Sawyer pulled me away, Locke letting us, much to everyone's confusion. When we were a ways away Sawyer finally spoke, "Are you a fucking idiot?" He snapped.

"No." I said bluntly. He didn't say anymore, but huffing and puffing under his breath. He led me to Jack, Hurley, and Kate. Jack and Sawyer went off too talk, while Hurley came up to hug me, saying he was so happy I was alive and okay. I was kind of touched, not able to tell him my mission was to die by nightfall. If not by someone, then by the destruction of the island.

Jack led us to wherever it was they were going, but we didn't make it far before Locke, Desmond, and Ben met up with us. Is it sick that my heart raced for joy when I saw Desmond, looking at him like an end for my suffering. Kate started firing her gun repeatedly at Locke, they bounced off him like soft raindrops.

"Save you're bullets." Locke said, as Sawyer pulled her back. He approached Jack, "So it's you." Jack nodded, "I'm kind of surprised, Jacob picked you, you're kind of the obvious choice don't you think?"

"He didn't pick me, I chose." Jack said firmly.

"So you're going to try and stop me?"

"I can't stop you." Wait what? Did Jacob forget to tell him the job description, because I was positive that that wasn't it. "Instead, I'm going with you."

Locke actually laughed at this, "I don't think you know what I'm going to do."

"You're going to the light, the place I'm sworn to protect, and where you thinks you're going to destroy the island." Jack said, "You won't destroy the island, because I'm going to kill you."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"Well now that's a surprise."

We all started heading to the light, I didn't bother listening to the worried hushed whispers. I didn't bother thinking about the outcome of these events. I just waited patiently, and followed. When Locke told everyone but Jack and Desmond to wait, I sat immediately. The Man in Black thinking it was obedience, fear, but it was the eagerness to die.

Everyone sat around, when I heard static coming from Ben's pocket. Looking to make sure the coast was clear, he pulled a walkie talkie from his pocket. "Miles are you there?" More static, "Miles?"

"Yeah, we're here."

"We?"

"I found Alpert and Lapidus, we are heading toward the plane." Miles' voice sounded.

I snatched the walkie, "Ricardos?" I asked, my voice shaking. He was dead, I saw him get hit.

"Elizabeth!" I heard his accented voice, it was only evident when he was emotional, "Miles told me…Oh god, are you okay?"

"Me! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Ben snatched the walkie back.

"Hate to break up the reunion but, we need a plan if you to love birds want to actually see each other." Ben said into the walkie, "Miles whatever you do, don't blow up that plane!"

"We aren't, we're flying it off this fucking island." There was a pause, "Wait, Claire!" I heard Miles shout, before several gunshots sounded over the speaker. What, no, no, NO!

"Ricardos!" I shouted into the walkie, grabbing it back from Ben, "Ricardos, answer me please!"


	30. Chapter 30

Before anyone could answer, the sky opened up, and the island rumbled with fury. Oh god, Locke had done it. As the ground shook, and the water plummeted, a tree cracked, and started to fall. Looking I saw I was in the way of the path, and I was about to be crushed. Something hard hit my back and I slammed into the other direction. Turning, I saw Ben caught between the ground and the tree. He had saved my life.

I scrambled to help him, as the others struggled to lift the tree as well. It took more time than we really had, but we managed to release him from the tree's grasp. I saw the walkie lying in the mud and grabbed it. "Ricardos?" I shouted into it, "Ricardos, are you alright?"

"He's fine!" I heard Miles shout back, "We're fixing the plane, take off is in an hour, be here." There was no more communication, as we ran to where Ben said there was a boat. Where Locke was killing Jack. He had him pinned down, a knife to his throat.

I didn't think, I didn't blink. I just grabbed the gun from Kate's hand. One shot was all it took, and I watched the flesh rip through his back, and out his shoulder. He collapsed to the ground, "I saved you a bullet." I snapped, walking forward, turning him over with my foot.

"You're too late." He gasped, looking at me with determination.

"It's never too late." I said, without further ado, I kicked him off the ledge. Watching him fall with a sickening crack. I had done it, I killed him.

The ground continued to shake, but the rain died. Maybe we were too late. Jack said something about going to fix whatever Desmond turned off, Ben wanted to go down with the Island, and Hurley unfortunately refused to come as well. I gave the each hugs. Hurley the longest, and I tried to convince him to come, but he refused.

Sawyer and Kate and I started running, as Sawyer walkied Miles, telling him to hold up. Lapidus snapped back saying that he was leaving while there was still ground to take off of. I heard Ricardos yelling in the background, my name coming up several times.

Grabbing the walkie, I said, "Make sure Ricardos stays on that plane, even if I don't make it there." I turned off the walkie at that. "We have to jump." I said, to Kate and Sawyer, looking over the edge, "We don't have time to walk around."

That's just what we did, Kate going first, then Sawyer, and finally me. The water hit me hard, and my skin stung from the force, while bubbles swirled and tickled me. I kicked as hard as I could, until I met the surface, and headed for the boat climbing in.

We didn't wait to dock, just sailed the boat as close as we could to the shore and dived out. Swimming wildly as I heard the engine start to roar on the plane. That's when I saw her, sitting and staring at the ocean. Claire.

Kate ran to her, pleading for her to come with us. They argued for a minute, Claire shouting that she was insane, that the island made her crazy, she couldn't be a mother and crazy. "If you think you're crazy, then you aren't. Crazy people don't know their crazy." I snapped, "You can be a mother, because you will have help. Now come on." She grabbed my hand and we made a dash for it.

I saw the plane backing up, and Sawyer started screaming into the walkie with no reply. The door was closed, they were going to take off. We screamed, waved our arms, begged for them to stop. The door came open suddenly, and I saw Ricardos' head pop out. I ran as fast as I could, a huge smile on my face. He was alive, he was really alive.

Grabbing his hand he pulled me inside. Kissing me wildly, as if no one else was in the plane. Miles helped the others in, but I just kept a hold of Ricardos, as he led me to a seat. It was so surreal. "Ricardos, I thought I lost you." I cried softly, yet still smiling. "I couldn't live without you, not forever." Suddenly I felt him pull a strand of hair from my head, "Hey!" I scolded, "What was that for?"

"Looks like you got you're first gray hair too." He smiled, showing me the obviously gray long strand.

"What?" I gasped.

"We're aging, baby." He said softly, kissing my lips as the plane rumbled down the small strip. "We're free." The plane soared into the air, and I looked down at the window, watching the island get further and further away. I hadn't been off the island before, not since 1870. I missed an entire century. Worry of the New World flittered through me, but I shook it away. I was free to live and die with my beloved. There was no better ending than that.


	31. Chapter 31

(A/N: This is the last chapter you guys, it's a flash sideway, because I was kind of upset Richard didn't have one. Just wanted to say thank you to - KittyKatZorse, Kelp, Jac Danvers, Chrissy, MonzaBird, XgashX, Drowned Island Goddess, DarknessRunsCold, and all the anonymous reviewers I had. You guys kept the story going)

I groaned as I woke up, the alarm clock buzzing annoyingly close to my ear. Turning, I was happy to see my boyfriend's spot empty. I sat up and hit the off button, before waddling into the bathroom. I had bed head like crazy, so I jumped into the warm shower. I really didn't feel like working today, but Mr. and Mrs. Widmore needed the house extra clean today, (not that it wasn't always spotless after I was done). They were paying me double though, and I desperately need the money.

I got dressed in my uniform, thankful that Mrs. Widmore was not tactless enough to use traditional maid uniforms, just a knee length blue dress, I had enough people who wanted me in the full out black and white frilly garments, feather duster in hand. The sick pigs.

I grabbed my energy drink and mango as I walked out the door. I love mangoes, they were my favorite fruit. The noises of LA greeted me as I trekked down the sidewalk, stopping at the bus stop. "Hello Elizabeth." Someone said behind me, jumping nearly a foot in the air, I swung around quickly. Standing there was Daniel Widmore, leaning against his sleek black car. "Hop in, I'll give you a lift."

"You scared me, Dan." I smiled, sighing a breath of relief, he apologized and held the door open for me. I thanked him as I slid into his car. "So what's this about." I had been cleaning for the Widmore's since I was sixteen, now 20, I was very close to Daniel.

"Oh was passing you're house, saw you walking, figured I'd save you the hassle of the bus." He grinned, he had such an adorable grin. "I have to stop at Mittelos Labs, to pick up some paperwork for my father, you mind coming in?" He parked in front of the building without my answer. Looking down at my maids uniform, I decided against it.

"No, I'm going to smoke a cigarette." I said, climbing out of the car and heading for a bench. I knew from past experience, Dan did not allow smoking in his car. I sat down and watched him walk into the building. A few minutes went by, before someone dropped a folder in front of me, the paper going everywhere.

I heard the man cuss in Spanish, and I held back a laugh as I bent forward to pick up the papers by my feet. "Thank you." I heard the man say, but when I looked up I couldn't respond. He was the most gorgeous man I had ever seen in my life. His hair was short, dark, and brushed back. His eyes were dark chocolate orbs, that engulfed me. His voice was accented slightly, but he spoke eloquently, "Miss? Are you okay?"

I shook myself from my awe, "Yes I am fine." I handed him the papers, and saw Dan walking out of the building, no papers in hand. "Oh there's my ride." I shot a smile, "Have a nice day." I shot away like my ass was on fire. I was such an idiot, he probably thought I was a complete loser. I scolded myself gently, reminding myself I did indeed have a boyfriend.

"Hey, you are coming to the concert right? I get to play with Driveshaft." Dan said excitedly, as I turned to ask him where the papers he needed were. I was caught off guard by the infamous band name.

"Driveshaft? Really?" I sounded as excited as a school girl.

"Yeah. Got a ticket with you're name on it." Dan said, "Even got one with you're boyfriends name on it." Way to shoot my happy bubble down. I agreed to go, and bring the famous Joshua Kingston, as Dan put it, finally allowing him to me the 'boy of my dreams'. More like my nightmares.

We got to the house, and I had to start cleaning immediately. The house was huge, so by lunch I had only cleaned 7 bathrooms, the kitchen, the parlor, and 4 bedrooms. That wasn't even half the house. I went outside for my cigarette and watched them set up for the show tonight. I had already called Josh, telling him to come to the show. He agreed, because he was more of a fan to Driveshaft than I was, and that's saying something.

Penny Widmore came in earlier, gushing about how glad she was that I was attending the show. I didn't know why she was excited, we barely talked ever. But she was seeing a man named Desmond now, and was all smiles. She even loaned me a dress, telling me to give it back "whenever", but I learned a long time ago that borrowing from the rich is risky, because some will turn around and accuse you of stealing. I knew to give it back in the morning, if not right after the show.

I finished my cigarette, and hurried inside. Rushing to finish cleaning. I finished right as the sky started turning pink, so I was shooed into a spare bedroom by Penny to change. Dan and her stood outside the door, as I slipped into the skinny purple dress, that showed a tad bit of cleavage. I knew Josh would hate it, but how could I tell them no, and explain why I couldn't? I sucked it up, silently deciding to take the punishment I was bound to get later. I let my hair down, after I realized the dress showed off one too many bruises.

The long curls concealed them perfectly, and I walked out the room. Dan and Penny gushed at how good I looked, and told me Joshua had arrived. They led me out to the courtyard, greeting many guests as we passed along the way.

Joshua's eyes flashed angrily, but he kept a smile on his face, as he politely stood and pulled a chair out for me. Penny and Desmond sat with us, along with a child and two women I didn't know. We kept up the mild small talk, when a dark and handsome stranger caught my attention from the other side of the room. The man from Mittelos.

I could help but stare, and he flashed me a smile in return. I felt a hand grip my leg harshly. Uh-oh. "May I speak to you in private." He asked, I glanced back at the man, who's smile was replaced with a frown, as he watched Josh 'help' me from my chair, and out the door.

We made it to behind a delivery truck before he hit me. He raised his hand to hit me again, before someone else caught it from behind. Josh was swung around, and punched hard. "Get out of here." An accented voice growled. Josh scampered away.

Looking up I saw the dark orbs of the mystery Mittelos Man. "Are you okay?" He asked grabbing my hand.

I was chained to a tree. Surrounded by pirates. Arrows shooting everywhere. People dying. I was in a hut, with the Mittelos man, rescued. There was a cabin, as we laid in bed together. Saved from a Man, saved from smoke. White flashes of light. Running into the Mittelos man's arms. Kissing on the beach. Watching him get thrown through the air. Finding him on the plane.

Oh god, I was…remembering?

"Ricardos?" I croaked, looking up into the man's eyes, hoping I wasn't insane. He was looking at me with the same familiar look.

"Elizabeth." He smiled. Before anything else was said we kissed wildly under the stars. We knew where to go from there. It was finally time to leave.


End file.
